To the One Struggling to Let Go

Dear friend,

I see you, standing at the threshold between who you were and who you long to be. It’s not an easy place to stand, is it? One foot planted in the familiar — the routines, the roles, the responsibilities, the relationships that once made you feel safe — and the other, hesitant and trembling, reaching toward the unknown.

You want the new life. I know you do. I can feel how deeply you ache for it. You catch glimpses of it sometimes, don’t you? In the quiet of the morning or the stillness of your heart, when you let yourself imagine what could be. But then the old life calls to you. It whispers that it’s not so bad, that you know how to survive there, that stepping into the new will cost you too much.

The truth is, you cannot carry both.

The life you’re clinging to is too heavy, and it will not fit through the doorway you’re meant to walk through. Trying to hold onto both is like trying to hold onto two ropes that are pulling in opposite directions. It’s no wonder you feel exhausted, torn, stuck.

I want you to know that letting go isn’t about erasing what was. It’s about honoring it — honoring the life that brought you here, the person you’ve been, the ways you’ve survived. But honoring it doesn’t mean staying there. It means loosening your grip, softening your hold, and trusting that it’s safe to move forward.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Start small.

Name what you’re afraid to leave behind. Say goodbye to one piece at a time. Grieve what needs grieving. Celebrate what deserves celebration. And remind yourself — again and again — that you are not leaving yourself behind.

The new life you’re stepping into isn’t about abandoning who you were — it’s about expanding into who you are. It’s about carrying forward the wisdom of your old life while releasing the weight of it. The doorway is narrow, but it’s not a prison.

It’s a passageway to everything you’re becoming.

And yes, it will ask something of you. It will ask for your courage. It will ask for your trust. It will ask for your willingness to let go of what’s no longer meant to stay.

But I promise you this: it will give back so much more.

The new life is waiting for you — not impatiently, not demanding — but with open arms. One step at a time.

You’ll know when you’re ready.

With deep faith in you,

Practice Postscript

The Reflection:

• What are you most afraid to release about your old life? What does it represent for you?

• What parts of your old life feel like they belong to the person you’re becoming, and what parts feel like they belong to the past?

The Everyday Practice:

1. Write a letter of gratitude to your old life. Thank it for what it gave you, how it shaped you, and the ways it carried you here.

2. Name one small thing you’re ready to release—an object, a habit, a belief, or even a commitment. Create a simple ritual to let it go, such as lighting a candle, writing it on paper and tearing it up, or placing it in a meaningful spot as a symbol of closure.

Questions To Carry Forward:

• What might become possible if you loosened your grip on what’s familiar?

• How can you trust that you’re safe to move forward, even when the path is unclear?