Oh man, it has been a while since I’ve written to you. I hope you’ve been having such a wonderful summer so far!
I want to talk to you about a message today that has been coming up so much lately in my own life and in the lives of my clients and friends:
Don’t be afraid to change things up. To let things go. To let go of the way you usually do things. To shut down a business that you no longer feel aligned with. To let go of something that once served you but no longer does. To say goodbye to a relationship that is no longer for you.
Our brains are wired to hold on to what is known. To what we’ve done before, or what is comfortable.
But as we grow and evolve – and I know that if you’re here and reading this you are someone who is constantly growing and evolving – we must allow our lives to grow and evolve, too.
One of my close friends, Ali, the co-founder of Soul Camp, just announced that after 5 years of running camps they way they’ve always been, she and her business partner have decided to shut down and try something new. Thousands of people have attended Soul Camp and they have a huge, loyal tribe. When she told me this news, I felt so immensely proud of her for realizing that the business was no longer right for her, and for having the courage to literally stop running it and figure out a way to transform it into something new. Talk about guts.
One of my business coaching clients called me in tears the other day as she was realizing that she was ready to let go of a program she had created 4 years ago. She said she felt like the content of the program was just so out of alignment with the woman she is today.
The tears were there because it’s HARD to let go of things. Really, really hard. Especially things we’ve poured our heart into. Relationships. Business creations. A piece of our identity.
It can feel truly sad to close a chapter.
My therapist once said to me “it is really hard for you to experience loss”, and this always stuck with me. It sounded so simple, but she was right – I find loss and letting go extremely difficult, so I tend to hold on to things that I probably shouldn’t.
I’m also going through a period of letting go and allowing for change in my life.
I’m doing some major soul searching and working with an amazing coach to figure out what parts of my own business I am ready to let go of in order to create space so I can thrive in new directions.
I’m practicing letting go of relationships that don’t feel right for me (I find this one so tough).
I’m letting go of ways of thinking and behaving that have been a part of me for pretty much my entire life, but are now getting in the way of me reaching my next level in all areas of my life.
In order to get to that next place, we must have the courage to look at what we need to change. We must question our current reality and ask ourselves if it’s really, truly what we want.
This isn’t easy… this takes so much courage and strength…much more than it does to just keep going with the status quo.
As you’re reading this, is there something coming up for you that you feel like you really do want to let go of, even if it’s hard to imagine doing so?
- Is there a negative way you often think about yourself that you’re just so sick of thinking?
- Is there a relationship that is dragging you down but you’re scared to actually let it go?
- Is there a part of your business that, if you’re really honest with yourself, feels heavy and uninspiring to you?
- Is there a commitment in your schedule (like a book club, a committee, a class, a project) that you just really wish you could cut ties with?
And then ask yourself… what support do you need in order to help you do this?
In addition to the new coach I hired a couple of months ago, I’ve also been interviewing therapists here in SF, because I know that I need support to get to where I want to go.
Who encourages you to live your most amazing, inspired life? Can you find someone in your life to talk this out with?
I find that for myself and my clients, it often helps to get out of our own heads and let the people who support us give us “permission” to cut ties and move forward.
I’d love to hear in the comments here…If you weren’t afraid, what would you let go of in order to grow to your next level?
I can’t wait to hear and support you with this!
Love,
Jamie
