Issue 71: Letting Go Of Chains That Bind You
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 71 | LETTING GO OF CHAINS THAT BIND YOU
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
You will not break loose until you realise that you yourself forge the chains that bind you.
~ Gary Renard
THINK
Holding onto the things that have happened in the past frequently holds us back from becoming the person we want to be.
Often, we become so enmeshed in our emotions that they give us a sense of identity, perhaps even a sense of purpose. This enmeshment maintains the negative feelings and memories of negative situations, but we forge on because we’re much more comfortable in the familiar. This, we know. This, we can do. If we let go - what then?
The problem with holding on is that we begin to define ourselves by the past, instead of creating a sense of self based on who we want to be. We need to work towards accepting whatever we’re holding so tightly to, simply as it is, and then decide to let it go.
Think about a time when you were stuck in a cycle of frustration, anxiety or disappointment:
- Did you wish things were different?
- Did replaying the past over and over fix anything?
- Do you think the feelings became part of your identity?
- Who are you without this pain?
FEEL
Attempting to ignore negative feelings only extends our suffering. It’s okay to feel sad, angry, scared or hurt. In fact, it is crucial we allow ourselves to feel those emotions so we can get to the next step - letting them go.
The only person harmed by holding onto piles of negative emotions (baggage) is you. Resentment and unwillingness to forgive will keep you locked in the past and prevent you from moving forward with your life.
- What/who do you need to let go of in your life in order to achieve your dreams?
- What ill feelings have you harboured towards yourself and others that you are still hanging on to?
- When you bring these situations to mind how do you feel?
- Do these feelings serve you?
DO
Letting go is the first step in breaking the chains we entangle ourselves in.
It begins with self-awareness and requires we take an honest look at the thoughts, feelings and beliefs that limit us.
You have already identified what you are holding onto that no longer serves you. Now, it’s time to look deeper and ask yourself:
What outdated beliefs about myself am I clinging to?
How will I separate my feelings from the situations that triggered them?
When we let go, we accept that holding onto certain thoughts, feelings, and beliefs may have provided us with comfort and a sense of identity in the past, but that we need to move through these with courage and face the uncertainty of not knowing what comes next.
What you need to do:
- Recognise your patterns of emotional addiction,
- Commit to breaking free from them, and
- Actively practice detachment from overwhelming feelings.
- Breathe, release, and let go.
Do this enough and you will build a resilient mindset that can navigate life's challenges without getting ensnared in a web of negative emotions. Accept that your emotions are valid and need to be acknowledged - but they don't define you.
You are not your emotions, but the master of them.
