(Source:http://upliftconnect.com/letting-go-of-attachment/)
As I lay awake one night, tossing and turning in bed as I often do when I am unable to fall asleep; a thought struck me. Was letting go such a bad thing? What if as I let go of a person or a relationship, and in the same moment, get a glimpse of myself, an epiphany? Would that be a win or loss ?
The answer I came up with, was a surprising one.
Firstly, What is the need to let go of something or someone in life ?
In order to answer this question, I'd like to think of people as energies. Some people enter life like a breath of fresh air, and stay on without becoming stale, while others end up becoming stale and suffocate. While others, enter it with rain, gale, hail et al, and take it by storm, teach me the lesson I am to learn, and leave as suddenly as they came. To put it plainly, some people bring about a lot of positive energy with every interaction. Time spent with them makes me feel good, and helps me grow, while others sap me of energy. Without any disrespect to any person living or dead, I'd say that there are many people who drain me of all energy. Time spent with such people makes me miserable, and I find myself dreading every encounter with them, absolutely toxic.This is when I know that it is time to let go.
Letting go is a painful process. Trust me. It pains me a lot to let go of people; some of whom I loved (or love) dearly. I feel like someone's wringing my heart with all their might, with the intent to pulverise. But, I realised the hard way, that letting go is a process one must indulge in.It's not a place I'd go to willingly, but it is one that I must visit periodically. And as cold and heartless as it might sound, once a person stops aiding the path to growth in life, they must be let go. True, that it is not kind to hurt another person in that way, but there is no greater sin than self harm. Self preservation is of prime importance over here.
So, it is safe to say that letting go of toxic people and things in life is a win.
Secondly, What is knowledge of self ?
In my opinion, the knowledge of self is the most coveted knowledge of all. Knowing oneself propels a person onto a path of grown that is of incredible clarity. It maximises the person's purpose in life, as well as an instrument to serve society. As much as I'd like to believe that most of my actions are emotionally driven, it is true that there exists a rational root behind every emotion. Identifying this rational thought behind emotions and subsequent action, helps to understand oneself better. Once a person knows themselves well, the path forward becomes exceedingly clear. Acceptance of oneself, and identifying the shortfalls, helps a person know where they need to correct themselves.
I believe that knowledge of the past prepares us for what the future has to bring. Thus it is imperative to introspect upon the happenings of the past, and keep the lessons learnt close to the heart. There is no formula as such to win in life. However, the lessons of the past coupled with the knowledge of self, help dispel at least a fraction of the uncertainly of how to take life by the horns.
Thus, knowledge of self, even a glimpse of it, is a win.
Lastly, What if the letting go of someone, leads to a glimpse of oneself?
Once I let go of people who hold me back in life, I feel like the roller coaster of emotions that take hold of me, spin me into a spiral of thinking and introspection. I get to understand what I crave for in life. I feel like a small part of the path I am to take in life, has been uncovered. I understand clearly, what it is that I want ( or atleast don't want), both from myself and the people around me. This once again puts me onto the path of self discovery. A win once again.
So to conclude, letting go is painful, but it is something that needs to be done nevertheless; if it comes with a glimpse of self discovery, it's worth it. So a win, through and through.