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Lao Tzu: Let Go And Feel Free Again
The art of holding on to the essentials
Letting go and holding on is paradoxical. They appear to be opposites, but they’re not. In fact, one cannot exist without the other. Both letting go and holding on are essential for a good, simple, meaningful life to continue.
Letting go and holding on are two sides of the same coin. So often, we think of these actions as opposites — one is a passive, pessimistic action, while the other is an active, optimistic action.
We tend to associate letting go with giving up and not caring about something anymore, whereas holding on means we care so much that we won’t let anything or anyone get in our way. Letting go means releasing unhelpful or negative thoughts and emotions and embracing healthy ones instead.
It also means detaching yourself from people, places, objects, and situations that don’t serve your highest good. Holding on means recognising those things that do serve your highest good, those things you want to keep in your life forever.
Letting go is an art that few people know how to practice well. It’s also something that many of us need to learn fast if we want to live stress-free and emotionally healthy lives. Stress is directly related to holding on too tightly.
