I’ve been noticing the theme of letting go recently and am reminded that every year around this time it becomes a focus for many people.  Perhaps it’s the sense of closing down that accompanies the change of seasons, with darkened skies and leaves falling all around us, that leads us to think about closure.  Or perhaps it’s the pending arrival of a New Year that makes us think about endings as we say goodbye to another year and prepare for a new one.  But letting go is an important process in healthy living and with Thanksgiving arriving, it can also be a path to making space for gratitude.

When we make a choice to let go of something, whether a relationship, a job, or any situation that doesn’t serve us anymore, we consciously create and formalize its end point.  We take active steps to withdraw our energy from investing any more thoughts or emotions into trying to keep something going that is no longer, or may never really have been, satisfying.  It’s a way of releasing what hasn’t been working for us and giving ourselves permission to move on.  For many people, letting go may be a recognition that something isn’t able to be fixed or mended.  Or that a person in a relationship isn’t able to change.  Whatever the history, letting go is an act of release and can open space in our lives and grant us freedom.

What many people find is that while there’s a strong element of grief in letting go, the most overriding feeling is relief.  When we let go of something that’s been a struggle, we also can let go of the resentments, anger, and bitterness we’ve been holding on to.   By clearing out what has been preoccupying us we are open to new relationships and new feelings.  We feel lighter and less burdened.  Letting go is like a psychic exhale allowing us to relax and be in the present moment.  In doing so, we create the clarity and peace to appreciate the good things we have and the abundance in our lives that may have been clouded over by our negative preoccupatons. 

Whether it’s letting go of self judgments, an old role in your family, expecting your Uncle Joe to stay sober,  or hoping your football team will win (I let go, NY Giants …until next year), I hope this Thanksgiving holiday you are freed up to fully experience the beauty you have around you and create the memories you want to keep. In making space for new expectations, turkey and pie may not be the only thing you fill up with!