When I was a young teenager our beloved family dog, Muffin, became very sick. Muffin was my soulmate. I grew up with her sleeping on my pillow, playing with me outside, and comforting me when I was sad. When she got sick, I couldn’t accept that my mom was to take her to the vet to be put down. So I locked myself in the bathroom with Muffin. I wasn’t ready to let her go. How could I let her go?
My mom was outside the bathroom trying to get me to open the door. It was torture but after a while, I finally opened the door, sobbing, and gave Muffin to my mom. As painful as it was, in that moment, I felt a sense of relief. This was my first experience with deep loss and, somehow, I knew that clinging to what was inevitable was not sustainable or healthy.
The loss of Muffin is one of the most heartbreaking of my life. However, I remain more than grateful for the love, time, and relationship I had with her.
As we are now a few days into March, the month’s theme of letting go is strong in my mind and heart. I’m thinking about Muffin. And I’m thinking about what I need and want to let go of.
Letting go can be one of the hardest things we do in life.
Why is it hard to let go?
Letting go can be difficult because it means we are moving forward without the safety or comfort of what is known or what we’ve become attached to. And those emotional attachments can make it hard to let go. Often we cling to memories and feelings in an effort to avoid the fear and uncertainty that can come with letting go.
And even when we know in our hearts we need to let go, we often don’t know how to do it.
I believe letting go begins with self-awareness, self-trust and self-belief. These can be challenging for many of us. However, the more we exercise our mindfulness muscles, and follow our inner knowing, the more confidence we build and self-love we create, allowing for letting go to be both an act of personal freedom and an acknowledgement and acceptance of the process of life.
Letting go, on any level, allows you to cultivate a deeper connection with yourself by honoring your intuition and life’s journey.
Once we let go there are many benefits
We can feel lighter
Feelings of stress and anxiety lessen
We often have a greater sense of clarity and direction
We feel empowered
It is always important to be gentle with yourself and honor where you are on our journey of letting go.
Why is letting go important for you?
Take a listen to podcast episode 219, "Why Letting Go Is Important for Your Wellbeing."
Love, Your Wellness Coach,
Alyssa
March 5, 2025
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