Page 50 - July18LivingSCCLmagazine

Happy 4th of July
“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Letting Go and Beginning to Move On
“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize the situation is over, you cannot move forward.”
– Steve Marabole.
Luckily for all of us, the world keeps changing, and so do we. New adventure is around the corner if you are open to new experiences. What was okay five years ago might not be okay today. If the lifestyle you have been living no longer fits your present situation, changes can be made. Change is hard but necessary if you want to grow and excel. Cherish all your memories, start letting go of old experiences, and begin moving forward to find new adventures.
Marc Chernoff, author, blogger and professional coach, believes there are eight reasons to let go and move on and eight ways to accomplish it:
Reasons to Let Go and Move On
(My thoughts are in italics.)
1. A person’s negativity is rubbing off on you. Surround yourself with positive people. This will increase your confidence.
2. You have grown apart from someone.
Talk to that person and decide if you can salvage the relationship; otherwise, find new relationships that make you happy and more comfortable.
3. You are truly unhappy with your current circumstances. There is no reason to be unhappy; if you don’t feel good about something, change it.
4. Your goals and needs have changed.
As you grow, goals will change. Set new ones that fit more into your life today.
5. Fear is holding you back.
Take small steps to overcome your fear. Most people are afraid of change. Change a small thing. For example, go to the movies with yourself and see how it feels.
50 LIVING @ SCCL, July 2018
By Bonnie Lawrance, MSW
6. You are stuck living in the past.
Live in the present. Living in the past is wasting today. Live each moment of life abundantly.
7. An old grudge is still hurting you.
To move forward you must let go of past hurt feelings. Feel the hurt, but then move on. Old grudges harm you more than the person you are upset with. Let them go to make room for joy and happiness.
8. You are not learning anything new.
Learning is living. If you are learning how to do new things, your life will become more meaningful.
Ways to Let Go and Move On
1. Accept the truth and be thankful.
Life keeps changing. Be thankful for change and realize that everything that you learn has some value.
2. Distance yourself for a while.
Stepping away from a situation will give you clarity and inspire new ideas on how to handle the situation.
3. Focus only on what can be changed.
Decide what you really want to change and decide if it can be changed. Remember, you can only change yourself, not others. Put energy into what you can change and change it.
4. Claim ownership and take full control of your life. Don’t blame others or a situation for what’s not going right in your life. Be responsible for your life.
5. Focus inward.
See how you are living your life. Figure out what is working and what is not. Change what is not working.
6. Change the people around you.
Find people who make you happy, who are not critical, and who accept who you are. Some people are only in your life for a short time and for a myriad of reasons, but they are not in your life forever.
7. Take a chance.
Begin looking at new things and learn to let go of what is not working in your life.
8. Focus on today.
This moment is really all we have. Don’t look to the future or the past. Enjoy the now.
As we age, our needs change and we begin to look at different ways to improve the life we have been given. Marc Chernoff thinks that holding on is like believing that there’s only a past; while letting go and moving on is
Bits &Pieces
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