11 Things to Let Go Today

“Anything you can’t control in life is teaching you how to let go.”

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Our culture tells us that we need to accumulate things to be happy, but it’s quite the opposite in the spiritual order. 

In fact, we feel most stuck and unhappy when we cling to our possessions, be they physical or metaphysical.

In such cases, we’re tempted to grasp onto whatever we think will help make us whole even more tightly. But it is precisely at these moments when we’re called to let go and trust.

Here are eleven things that you may need to let go of so you can finally be set free:

1. Expectations

Expectations can be a significant obstacle to feeling peace and contentment. When we’re constantly living in anticipation of what might happen, we’re continually judging the events of our lives instead of living in the moment. Unfortunately, this type of thinking can lead to disappointment when things don’t go our way. 

How do we let go of our expectations? The key is realizing that the world does not conform to our view of reality. This may not eliminate the expectations that we place on ourselves and others, but it can allow us to hold on more lightly to them and let them go and adapt as situations and circumstances demand. 

Letting go expectations will not make you weak or lower your standards. Instead, it will make you more resilient as you can adapt to a quickly changing world.

2. Negativity

We all have the power to create peace or negativity in our lives by the thoughts we choose to focus on. If we focus on things that make us unhappy, those thoughts will eventually bring us down. 

We often hear that the antidote to negative thoughts is simply thinking positive thoughts. But this is difficult to do, especially if we’re caught up in a negative spiral. The key to letting go of negative thoughts is acknowledging and surrendering them. 

An effective way to do both is through prayer. For example, each time a thought threatens to weigh you down, you can pray the following, “Lord, I’m feeling angry today.” After this, try saying something like, “I wish to feel more peaceful instead.”

Letting go of negativity may also include letting go of negative people, situations, or circumstances. Again, pray for guidance if it seems impossible to get out of such situations on your own.

3. Past Mistakes

If you’ve ever felt frustrated with the past, you’re not alone. A lot of people struggle with forgiving themselves and others for what happened in the past. But forgiving yourself is one of the most important things you can do to move on.

Forgiveness is a process, not an event. It doesn’t happen overnight—it takes time, effort, and patience to forgive yourself and others. The key is to acknowledge that what happened was wrong and hurtful. And then take action towards healing and moving on.

Jesus often preached about forgiveness in the scriptures, which tells us how important forgiveness is to freeing us from the bondage created by our past mistakes and sins.

4. Stress

Stress is a normal reaction to difficult situations, but it can become chronic if it’s not managed correctly. Fortunately, there are simple ways to reduce your stress level and find peace in the face of challenges.

One way we often underestimate is simply talking to someone. Whether it’s a friend, family member, pastor, or therapist, talking about your feelings will go a long way to helping you relieve stress.

Other ways to let go of stress include breathing exercises, listening to calming music, or walking in nature. If possible, try to get enough sleep and eat healthy foods so that your mind and body are in the best possible condition to deal with stress. It will be easier to let go of stressors when you feel more relaxed and at ease.

5. Worry

When you worry, your body goes into a fight-or-flight response. This response was designed to help us survive danger, but it’s not good for our mental or physical health when we’re worrying about things that aren’t actually dangerous. 

Worrying can also keep us from enjoying the present moment and from being productive. When we’re constantly worried about the future, we can’t focus on what’s happening right now. 

6. Pride

Pride can often be a difficult thing to let go. It’s the instinct to view reliance on others as weakness. It’s the temptation to see ourselves as better than those who may benefit from our help. But what if pride is actually holding us back? What if it’s preventing us from being truly happy and forming meaningful relationships with others?

It’s time to let go of our pride and allow others to help us. We don’t have to be strong all the time; in fact, it’s okay to admit that we need help sometimes. When we allow others to help us, we open ourselves up to new possibilities and opportunities for growth. We also strengthen our relationships with those around us.

7. Shame

We all make mistakes. We are not perfect. And yet, we oftentimes punish ourselves for our mistakes far longer than anyone else ever would. 

It can be tough to let go of feelings of shame. We often tell ourselves that we should have done things differently or that we’re not good enough. This internal dialogue can be incredibly damaging, leading to low self-esteem and a cycle of self-hatred.

Forgiveness is the key to overcoming shame. It’s important to forgive yourself for your mistakes and to accept yourself for who you are. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strive to improve yourself, but that you are worthy of your own kindness and consideration. 

8. The need to please

We are often taught that we must please others to be successful and have a good life. We must do what they want, act the way they want us to act, and agree with them. This is untrue and can also be very harmful to our mental and emotional health.

When we are constantly trying to please others, we are not being true to ourselves. As a result, we do not live our own lives but instead live the lives that others expect of us. This can lead to stress and anxiety, as we are always worried about what other people will think of us.

It is important to remember that you are the only one who can truly know what is best for you. Therefore, don’t let others dictate how you should live your life.

9. Control

We spend our lives striving for control. We want to control our surroundings, our emotions, and other people. We think that if we can just get everything perfect, we’ll be happy. 

Often, we suffer when we’re not in control of a situation. As a result, we feel frustrated, anxious, and angry. We think that if only we could have controlled the outcome, things would be different. But that’s not always true. In fact, when we let go of control and simply enjoy life, things often work out for the best.

But to get there, we need to trust that life is not out to get us. And even when things don’t work out the way you hoped, know that there’s always an open door for every door that closes.

10. Perfectionism

Perfectionism is a fear-based behavior. When someone’s perfectionistic, they’re afraid that if they make a mistake, they will not be able to live up to the high expectations others have of them. 

They may feel as if they have to perform flawlessly in every situation to be accepted or successful. As a result, perfectionism is detrimental to our productivity and creativity.

It’s important to remember that there is no “perfect” way to do anything and that mistakes are part of the learning process.

11. Fear

Fear is the ultimate obstacle of the freedom that comes with letting go. All the earlier points of this post relate to some aspect of fear.

It’s truly shocking how much fear dictate our lives in ways large and small. We live in fear of the future, fear of the unknown, and fear of not being good enough. 

How can we let go our fears? By choosing love. When we choose love over fear, we open ourselves up to possibility. We allow ourselves to be happy and to enjoy life. We are not afraid to take chances because we know that love will protect us. Love is the light that guides us through dark times and helps us overcome our fears. 

As scripture says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18)