To move forward after we’ve experienced hurt in our lives, we need to forgive and let go. But letting go is far from easy. 

Letting go and having a painful emotional state lifted is a process and one that is relevant and necessary for everyone, not just single parents. We’ve all been hurt, and a natural reaction is to want to protect ourselves from future pain. We do this by holding on to the pain of the past to remind us not to risk going through that again. But this control is just an illusion. Even with our best efforts, we can’t avoid the possibility of future hurt yet we hang on tight to our hurts hoping that the memory will keep us from being vulnerable again. If we forget, we might get hurt again. Protecting ourselves feels like our number one priority. But relationships require risk so we must let go if we want to live into our future and open opportunities to connect in meaningful ways again. Accepting that hurts are a normal part of life is necessary, and that acceptance opens the door to being able to let go. 

Letting go is difficult when you are still in contact with a person who has hurt you or someone you love. It can be triggering to engage with that person especially if their behavior continues. Even if hurts aren’t happening anymore, we can still hang on. And sometimes, we have a hard time letting go of mistakes we’ve made or shame we are carrying but letting go is important if we are to move on with freedom and health. 

Letting go is a process and a necessary one as we are healing. To let go and move into freedom and health, there are three things we can do to help with this process, and these are things we can do daily: 

Confession

Surrender

Patience

To read the full show notes click here - https://soloparentsociety.com/2020/09/09/3-steps-to-letting-go/