This month, we are focusing on helping you make positive changes in your life. In order to do this, you must let go of the past. Paul said,
“One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”
-Philippians 3:13-14
You cannot grab hold of new behaviors and habits if you are still clinging to old ones.
How to Let Go During a Season of Change
Identify Negative Behaviors
This is a very important first step. Take time to write out things that are harmful in your life, what is harmful about them, and the benefits you will receive from being free. Doing so will help you make the decision to say goodbye to those negative behaviors forever.
We use the word “decision” a lot, and the meaning of the word is truly powerful. The word comes from Latin and literally means to cut off from. When you make a quality decision, you are cutting yourself off from the things that are harmful to you.
Have A Funeral
Some of you may have heard my weight loss story, but if you haven’t, I held a funeral for rice and gravy because it was hindering my journey to changing my body. I had to bury them because it was harming my health. Funerals, if done correctly, give you the opportunity to say goodbye. In the same way we hold funerals to say goodbye to loved ones, we must have a funeral to let go of the things you loved that simply are not good for you.
Every funeral brings grief. When you decide to quit smoking and someone offers you a cigarette, you experience a grieving process as you refuse it. That grieving process is healthy and thankfully, the grief diminishes as your resolve grows with each refusal.
Identify Harmful Parts
A key to successfully growing through the grieving process is identifying all the things that were harmful in a situation. Sometimes, people only think of the loss during the grieving process. They forget how damaging the previous situation might have been.
Sometimes people let fear of the future paralyze them. If they do not deal with this fear, it will lead them into depression, which in turn will lead them to return to their harmful behavior patterns. We often want to return to what is comfortable and familiar, even if it is quite harmful. You need to learn to let go.
Explore New Possibilities
Finally, when you are learning to let go, you need to start exploring new possibilities. Replace negative behaviors with positive ones. For example, if you quit eating unhealthy foods, you can now play at the park with your children or grandchildren. You will feel healthier, and your diet now allows you to play better and longer.
Once you have discovered new and healthy behaviors and situations, make a commitment to those innovations.
I hope this post has helped you on your change journey. Is there something you are trying to change or let go of in your life? If so, how is that going for you? Leave me a comment below!