Lesson 9: Letting Go

There’s a unique kind of courage in learning to let go—a skill that grows with us over time, but still challenges us deeply. Life doesn’t always grant us the choice to hold onto things we want, nor does it wait until we’re ready. As we go through life, it becomes painfully clear that “we’re not always going to be ready for the changes life presents us with.” Yet, those changes, whether we welcome them or not, become essential stepping stones on our journey.

We all have moments when life feels just right, and everything we want is within reach. Then, there are periods of uncertainty, where we’re “grasping to figure things out,” trying to understand what’s next. And somewhere between these states lies the hardest experience of all—the moment when life pulls something from our grasp, “when we have to walk away before we’re ready.” This moment of letting go, of leaving behind parts of ourselves or the things we cherish, is as much a part of the story as every triumph and joy. 

The idea of letting go can be terrifying because it demands that we part with what we love, sometimes before we’re fully prepared. When facing this transition, it’s easy to feel that our best days are already behind us. We cling to the comfort of what we know, forgetting that “there’s a future” ahead, filled with new possibilities. This lesson struck me deeply when I faced an unexpected goodbye, one that left me questioning if anything ahead could ever match what I was leaving behind. The urge to stay in that past, to hold onto it and savor it longer, was almost overwhelming.

But letting go is ultimately an act of faith in the future, in the potential of our yet-to-come selves. The things we’ve let go of—the friends, the places, the experiences—live on within us, shaping who we are as we move forward. And the future will bring with it “days bursting with more happiness and light than you could possibly fathom from where you’re standing now.” It’s a promise that life has proven to us time and again, showing up in ways we could never have anticipated.

Reflecting on this, I realize that we need to “stay open to those changes,” to trust that something extraordinary lies beyond each ending, no matter how tempting it may be to look back. Our lives are enriched by every experience, every person, and every memory we’ve left behind. In learning to let go, we don’t just abandon the past; we acknowledge it, honor it, and carry its essence with us as we move forward.

Letting go does not mean forgetting or disregarding what came before. It means remembering that the chapters of our lives are always unfolding. In those times of transition, when it’s tempting to hold on or fight against what’s slipping away, I remind myself: “You weren’t at the end of the story back then, and you’re not at the end of the story now.” 

Even though it’s rare and wonderful to find something worth lingering for, sometimes the act of letting go—of releasing what no longer serves us—becomes the bridge to the next chapter. In that process, we’re allowed to mourn, to look back with both gratitude and grief. But to keep moving forward, we must, as the saying goes, “steer constantly into the fearful and unknown.” 

The things we’ve loved and lost remain part of us forever, woven into the fabric of who we are. But it’s in letting go that we make space for the unknown that’s waiting just beyond the horizon. And in that space, there are “more wonderful things awaiting us in the future than we could ever even fathom.” Holding onto the belief that the best days of our lives are not all behind us—and that there’s always more to come—is what allows us to find peace as we continue our journey. 

Letting go isn’t about giving up on what we love; it’s about carrying it forward within us, knowing that everything we’ve experienced has prepared us for the beauty that lies ahead.