10 Things You Should Let Go Of To Lead A Positive Life

Let’s face it: life isn’t a bed of roses, and it’s impossible to completely avoid negativity. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we may be holding on to a lot of things that prevent us from living life to the fullest. There really isn’t any point to holding on – whatever it is – so it’s a good idea to reflect upon your inner being once in a while. In fact, there’s no better time like now! So find a comfortable spot, sit down, take some deep breaths, read on, and start letting go. When you let go, peace will arise within. ☮

 

1⃣ The Past

We all know this one, as it’s probably the most common thing people say to let go of. But how many of you actually can do it? Yes, our brains retain memories, but letting go of the past means that you relinquish its power to affect you. How many times have certain songs, places, or items affected you due to memories you have of the past? There’s no going back anymore, so why continue to torture yourself? Let go.

 

2⃣ Negative Thought Cycles/Habits

Don’t ever underestimate the power of your own thoughts, as your actions are completely dictated by what and how you think! If you generally think negative thoughts, how are you going to live positively? To let go of your negative thought cycle, you actually don’t get rid of it; you simply replace it with positive thoughts instead. For example, if you always think “I can’t do it”, replace it with “I will try”, eventually moving on to “I can do it”!

 

3⃣ Hurt

Being hurt is part and parcel of life, whether physically or emotionally. You would have gotten yourself hurt by playing as a kid, and when you grew up, sometimes people hurt you, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Well, you can’t control the actions of others, but what you can do is choose your response. Does it help you in any way if you keep the hurt within yourself? I don’t think so. Choose to forgive and forget; life is too short for you to keep playing the role of the victim.

 

4⃣ Guilt

Hurt and guilt go hand in hand, as you will have hurt others too. If you’ve been the one inflicting pain on others, reach out to them and apologise. Whether they respond or not, or respond in whichever manner, know that you’ve at least tried to make it right. Guilt is a terrible emotion to have, and if you leave it unchecked, it will eat you up from the inside and slowly affect your relationships with other people. Let go of your guilt, and just be careful that you don’t repeat your mistakes!

 

5⃣ Pride

Also known as the infamous “ego”, pride can be the downfall of a person. Is it really more important to “win”, than to have a good, cordial relationship with others? Pride can also lead to a false sense of “I’m always right” and “I’m better than you” among others, and this more than anything else will deteriorate relationships very quickly. Which do you treasure more: your pride or your relationships?

 

6⃣ Comparison

Closely associated with pride, comparison is another habit you should let go of. If you’re in the habit of always comparing yourself to others, there are two possible pathways. One, you’ll feel inferior, like no matter how hard to try, you’ll never be good enough, and that will lead to feelings of guilt and shame. Two, you’ll feel superior, leading to an inflated ego. You are your own person, and while it’s true that healthy competition once in a while can be motivating, it’s definitely not healthy to always compare.

 

7⃣ Entitlement

Entitlement is when you feel like you have a right to something. Commonly manifesting itself as “I should” phrases, the feeling of entitlement is dangerous, because you will walk around feeling like everyone owes you something. The fact is, no matter who you are or what family you are born into, the world doesn’t owe you anything, and if you want something, you’ve got to put in some effort to get it. You go girl! Work for what you want!

 

8⃣ Resentment

Ever felt bitter about someone’s success, achievements, or any cause of joy for them? That’s resentment. Resentment can lead you to feel jealousy easily, and jealousy has never helped anyone. Resenting others can also lead you to blame them for your own problems, and that means you will not take responsibility for your actions over time, because you’ll always be saying “it’s because of them”. Instead of wasting time resenting others, why not work on yourself, so you too can have success and joy?

 

9⃣ Expectations

You can’t control people, nor can you control life itself, so if you have a ton of expectations, of course you’re going to get disappointed, because your expectations won’t be met! The easiest way to enjoy all of life is go with the flow, and not expect anything from anyone. This way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when something nice happens, but you also won’t get a nasty shock if something that isn’t to your liking happens.

 

🔟 Attachments

It doesn’t matter whether they’re good or bad; everything in life is temporary. Nothing lasts forever, so it’s vital that we don’t form attachments to (especially) material things in life. Total non-attachment is impossible for our daily life as we have to depend on certain things, but try to practice non-attachment as much as possible. Will your handbag that costs X amount last forever? No it won’t. So why attach yourself to it so much? Just enjoy it while you can, and you’ll learn to appreciate it more instead!

 

Are there any other things you feel like we should let go of in order to live a happier, fuller life? If you’ve practiced letting go, tell us how you feel about it! ☮