If you’re navigating a challenging situation in life, sometimes the best way to get through it is acceptance and letting go. Discover 7 tips to guide you towards inner peace and personal growth.
Introduction
In many moments of life, we’re confronted with challenging situations or people that weigh us down.
Perhaps you’re going through a tough time at work. Or maybe it’s frustration around a certain relationship. Maybe someone crossed your boundaries and you can’t get over it.
No matter the situation, it’s important to step back and acknowledge when acceptance and letting go is the best way forward.
By acknowledging what we can and can’t control, it allows us to accept the situation and move toward transformation.
Letting go helps us release the negative associations and feelings that pave the way for new opportunities, experiences, and growth.
Here are 7 steps as a guide to acceptance and letting go.
Acceptance and Letting Go: 7 Steps
1. Feel your feelings
One of the most important steps in this process of acceptance starts with allowing yourself to feel.
Feel all the feelings that you need to, for as long as you need to. Anger, frustration, sadness, guilt, regret, or fear, let yourself feel it. Give yourself all the time you need to grieve – this in itself is a practice of self-care and love.
It’s okay to feel everything fully, as it will only help you let go once you’re ready. Don’t hold in any resentment, it won’t help you move forward.
One activity that can help is to journal about everything you’re feeling, to help process your emotions.
Ask yourself:
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- How has this situation made me feel?
- What no longer serves me?
- What will help me move forward with peace?
Ultimately, we want to release what no longer serves us. And that includes all the negative feelings that hold us back.
2. Forgive yourself first
A big part of being able to move forward is forgiveness. More specifically, self-forgiveness. The most important person in this scenario is you.
Give yourself the grace and kindness you deserve, especially if you were wronged in this situation.
If you’ve been blaming yourself, remember that you aren’t to blame for the whole situation. There were different factors and likely people that contributed to what happened – don’t bear the pain of carrying it alone.
In hindsight, remember that you did the best you could with the information you had at the time. You were just doing the best you can.
With that in mind, find the self-compassion to forgive yourself. One way to reinforce this is by using empowering affirmations.
Here are a few examples of affirmations to use:
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- I am worthy of forgiveness.
- I live in peace with my past.
- I am always doing the best I can.
- I release the past and focus on creating my future.
- I am deserving of kindness, love, and grace.
Related: 45 Empowering Affirmations for New Beginnings
Related: 30 Uplifting and Empowering Affirmations To Create Your Dream Life
3. Find your own closure
In most instances, closure never comes in the way that we hope it does. Sometimes, the best way to get closure is to create it yourself.
Instead of waiting for others to give you closure, decide what you need to find inner peace. What will allow you to close this chapter, find acceptance, and let go?
A few empowering activities that have helped me in the past include:
Write a letter of forgiveness
Pour your feelings out in a letter, addressed to the people who may have hurt you. Whether you send it or not is entirely up to you and if you feel it will grant you closure. Either way, use this as a process of healing.
This is a symbolic practice or meditation that helps you cut emotional and energetic ties with people who may be bringing you down. The exercise involves visualizing cutting those ties to be able to move forward with acceptance and letting go.
While these are a few great examples of finding closure, remember that you know best what you need. Empower yourself to create the closure you need.
4. Give yourself space
By distancing yourself from the situation and the people involved, you separate yourself and allow yourself to move on.
It’s not healthy to keep reliving what happened or to be reminded of it by regularly seeing people who may have hurt you.
This might look like finally quitting that job, or perhaps cutting off a circle of friends who no longer serve you. It might be blocking your ex who hurt you significantly, or even taking a little break from your normal routine.
Sometimes, a clean cut is the best way to start a new chapter in your life. You give yourself space both mentally and emotionally to heal.
5. Start fresh
Giving yourself space also lets you start fresh. Switch up your life, and don’t let the baggage of the past keep you stuck.
Find a new job that empowers and excites you.
Surround yourself with new people who inspire you.
Discover your self-worth and remember the worth you bring to any relationship.
Move to a new city that brings new opportunities and adventures.
You’re in control of what comes next. Anything is possible. Stay in tune with what feels good, and let that guide you forward.
Related: 14 Tips To Navigate Life Transitions With Grace
6. Find the silver lining
There is always a beautiful silver lining that comes with every challenge we face. While it’s harder to see it when you’re in the thick of it, with time and space, you can think back on the situation and see the positive that came out of it.
It all starts with your mindset and shifting perspective. In every situation, there is a lesson, a learning, or personal growth that comes as a result.
I truly believe that everything happens for a reason.
So when you’re ready, think about what silver lining came as a result of what you went through. Look for the bright side. Most usually, it’s that you came out a stronger, better person.
7. Focus on the future
Once you’re past the stage of acceptance and letting go, you can then focus on moving forward.
Your future is filled with new possibilities. If you ever find yourself getting stuck, use practices like journaling or visualization to stay future-oriented.
Imagine yourself letting go of the past version of you. Instead, imagine your future self.
Who is your future self? What qualities do you embody? How do you spend your days? With whom? What does future you see, hear, feel?
Let the future inspire you, guide you, and free you.
Related: 15 Inspiring Ways to Feel More Empowered In Your Life
Related: The Most Powerful Way to Transform Your Life This Year
Conclusion
The first step to finding inner peace starts with your intentions. By reading this blog post, you’ve started that process! I hope you found the steps above helpful.
The process of acceptance and letting go isn’t always easy, but you owe it to yourself to let go of what no longer serves you.
While the past won’t change, you can change the way you see it. Your perspective matters.
Amidst everything, know that you deserve forgiveness, compassion, and joy in your life.
Let your brand new chapter begin now. You’ll never know what you find on the other side of it all!
xx
Tam
How will you move forward from here?
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