How To Spot When It's Time To Let Go

As we enter this new decade, it’s important to be intentional about our personal growth and development. With that being said, we must be able to identify and prioritize our focus and let go of any excess baggage.

As Erykah Badu said, pack light. The art of letting go, like self-care, looks different to everyone. Whether the letting go for you means doing the big-chop or leaving a toxic work environment, the process is always challenging. Some women are able to let things go without looking back, other’s may need more time.

Simply put, what is meant to be will be.

The key to creating a satisfying and simplified life is to get clear about how we want to spend our days and to maximize our effort into manifesting our desires.

But how do you know when something or someone has run its course?

Is it a feeling or a sudden realization that wakes you up in the middle of the night? Or maybe its when everything comes undone and you have no other choice but to surrender? Either way, it’s necessary.

All the signs will be there like:

1. It depletes you of energy, and no longer sparks joy

You don’t get that same excitement as you had before, and it becomes more of a hassle than an enjoyable experience. It requires extra effort and motivation that is taxing on your spirit and you constantly question whether it’s worth it.

2. Deep down, you know that you are settling

Your heart and mind are not on one accord, and you start second-guessing everything. You try to convince yourself why you should stay, and the pros and cons are not adding up. Your intuition starts telling you that something is not right.

3. It no longer has the same meaning to you that it had before

You don’t occupy your mind with it or spend too much time wondering about what-ifs. The absence of that thing or person does not feel like a loss and instead feels like a weight lifted off your shoulder and brings you peace. You may even wonder if it was just a distraction or if it really meant anything to you at all.

4. There’s no reciprocity

You find yourself in a position where it feels like you’re putting in more than you’re getting back. You begin to feel like all the time you have invested and sacrifices you have made goes unnoticed or is not appreciated. Even after multiple attempts of being patient and putting forth the effort, you still bare no fruit, and you begin to get discouraged.

For some of us, all of the red flags could be there and we still refuse to move on. It takes strength to walk away from our safety nets and to do something that goes against everything we thought we needed. But, in order to propel ourselves forward, we must cut off any dead weight that is not aligned with our goals and purpose.

This pruning process is not an easy task, but it gives us the spiritual stamina to act from a place of wisdom, rather than emotion.  It helps us to be present, and clear minded enough to evaluate the current climate of our lives and our attachments so that we can make room and create space for new opportunities that serve us.

Letting go is a radical act of freedom, and the purest form of self -love.

It’s making the decision to no longer carry old mindsets and stepping outside of our comfort zone to become our best selves.