We hear it over and over.

Letting go will set us free. It will give us the freedom and space we need to live our most bountiful life.

Yet, the act of letting go is easier said than done. We hold onto expectations or negative beliefs for many reasons.

Maybe we don’t feel we are lovable or good enough or worthy enough. So we put a wall up and live in fear.

This does not have to be our reality anymore. By slowing down and taking it a step at a time, a life of acceptance is possible.

Here are 10 ways to let go and begin to accept and embrace yourself on an entirely new capacity:

1. Participate in Life

Fear has the ability to numb us and disconnect us from life. It keeps us trapped and we have a hard time truly putting ourselves out there. Start participating in life again. Remember that fear is nothing more than False Evidence Appearing Real.

 2. Release attachments to our personal history

We can easily become victims of our circumstances. Maybe we had a traumatic childhood. Maybe we didn’t get the love we needed. Maybe we never felt good enough. These histories can become part of our identity. They no longer need to. We don’t need to honor our personal story by holding on. We can let it go.

3. Open our heart

By allowing ourselves to open our hearts, to be raw, to be vulnerable, we grow and we heal. We become present in our lives and allow for our true and authentic self to shine through.

 4. Release expectations

Expectations are nothing more than resentments waiting to happen. Expectations live in the future. They do not allow us to accept our present circumstances. Begin letting them go and focusing on all the goodness we have right here and right now.

 5. Stop resisting

Many of us are trained to resist. Our present circumstances don’t feel good enough or we want more. With this mindset, nothing will ever be good enough and we will live a life stuck in the past or waiting for the future.

6. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the solution. It is here that true acceptance occurs. Maybe this means starting to meditate. Maybe it means journaling each morning. Whatever brings you closer to the here and now, start embracing. This will allow for letting go to become a staple in our life.

7. Believe we are worthy of love

No one else is more worthy of love than you. You are the most powerful and special person in your life. Begin internalizing this. Let go of the fears and limiting beliefs that are holding you back from fully realizing this truth.

 8. Go beyond the fear

Take a step back and understand where this fear is coming from. Are we scared of not being perfect? Or good enough? Fear will paralyze us until we go beyond it. Start small, and slowly we will begin realizing we are more than fear.

 9. Connect to others

Connection is powerful. We were put here to connect and belong. Presence lies here as well. Be open to others. Allow for help in. This will aid in the letting go of the process and allow for us to truly begin accepting ourselves.

 10. Shift our perception

Our perception is everything. When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. So begin looking at life through the lens of love. Act with love. Give love. This will allow for us to begin seeing humans as humans. With their flaws and imperfections. It is a beautiful thing.

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Editorial Assistant: Karissa Kneeland / Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: flickr