Letting Go
🌷 Learning to Let Go 🌷
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For those who don’t know me, I’m a listener here on 7 Cups, and I’ve been part of this community for 5 years now. 💗 7 Cups has become such a meaningful part of my life, and being able to give back to a place that has meant so much to me is something I’m incredibly grateful for.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of listening to so many different people and hearing pieces of stories they may not feel comfortable sharing anywhere else. I never take it for granted when someone trusts me enough to let me into even a small part of their world.
My listening style is very gentle, validating, and non-judgmental. You don’t have to have the perfect words or know exactly what you’re feeling before reaching out. Sometimes you just need someone to sit with you through the uncomfortable moments without trying to fix everything.
That’s one of the things I love most about 7 Cups. There’s room here for the messy parts of being human. 🌷
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Sometimes mental health can make life feel heavier than it looks from the outside.
You can be smiling, going to work or school, talking to people, and still feel completely exhausted inside. You can be fighting battles that nobody else knows about while constantly telling everyone that you’re “fine.”
Sometimes we spend so much time trying to keep everything together that we forget how tired we actually are. Anxiety can make us overthink every little thing. Depression can make even simple tasks feel impossible. Low self-esteem can make us question whether we’re good enough. And sometimes our minds hold onto things that we desperately wish we could stop thinking about.
When you’re already carrying so much emotionally, letting go can feel almost impossible.
We can hold onto old memories, mistakes, people, feelings, or versions of ourselves because they feel familiar. Sometimes we even hold onto pain because part of us feels like we deserve to keep hurting over something we wish we had done differently.
But letting go doesn’t mean saying that something didn’t matter. It doesn’t mean forgetting or pretending that something never happened.
Sometimes letting go simply means accepting that we cannot change the past and slowly learning that we don’t have to keep punishing ourselves for it.
💭 What is something you’re still trying to make peace with?
Maybe it’s something from your past. Maybe it’s a mistake you still think about, a relationship that ended, something you wish you had handled differently, or a version of yourself you miss.
Whatever it is, you don’t have to have everything figured out yet.
Sometimes making peace takes time. Sometimes we think we’ve moved on, only for an old feeling to come back. That doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning. Healing isn’t always a straight line. 🫧
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And sometimes the hardest part of healing is being honest with ourselves.
Mental health can make us hide parts of ourselves because we’re scared of being judged, misunderstood, or becoming a burden. We might say we’re okay because admitting we aren’t feels too scary.
Sometimes we’re afraid to admit that we’re tired.
That we’re hurting.
That we miss someone.
That we need help.
That something still affects us.
Or that the life we’re living isn’t the life we thought we wanted.
💭 What is something you’re afraid to admit, even to yourself?
You don’t have to share anything you’re not comfortable with. This can simply be something you quietly think about for yourself.
And if you’re struggling to admit something, please remember that acknowledging a feeling doesn’t make it stronger or make you weak. Sometimes being honest with ourselves is the first little step toward understanding what we need.
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If you’re carrying something heavy right now, please be gentle with yourself.
You don’t have to let go of everything all at once. You don’t have to make peace with everything today. You don’t have to suddenly become okay just because you’ve been trying to heal.
Sometimes one small step toward acceptance is enough.
Sometimes getting through the day is enough.
Sometimes simply saying, “I’m still working through this,” is enough. 🤍
Take your time. You’re allowed to heal at your own pace, and you’re allowed to have difficult days along the way.
If you ever need someone to listen, my PMs are always open. You don’t have to carry everything alone. 💌
@LexListens2025
@ShadowFaerie @unassumingEyes @Sunisshiningandsoareyou @sadcat13 @Amanda84 @goldenduckling @mytwistedsoul @Tinywhisper11 @LovemyMoonflowers @GreenLime3141 @7Bear7 @Phoenixthepoised @Torean @GentleHealingInitiative @cyanessence @YourCaringConfidant @CaringEzra @NobleSeeker @fossilfellow @BastionKnight @trueconfidant123 @safeplace288 @lovingCat6978 @reservedOwl321 @dapperNest2125 @Creamyyy @naturesbeauty1234 @bubbleSummer9800 @peachThinker662 @warmheartedHuman836 @Mansbestfriend @Paliloveyourself @Magicpawsoffuture @SelfCareMatters @TovaCares76 @sabeyesofblue3535 @Ailuraphilelove8tear9 @charmingApple8098 @luvArisu @BlueDarkAurora @RunningMachine @daydreammemories @curiousbookishness @sympatheticPlace3743 @musawva @KindleMissie @WellsFiction @Angelanj @SlappyMcGee @jesusredeemedme2425 @bubblePerson5643 @creativeScarf316 @cheerfulKiwi1776 @SparkyGizmo @RedOceanSun
@LexListens2025 Thank you for always giving people a safe place to share, reflect, or just be. You're appreciated. ❤️
Personally, I still have to admit to myself that I don't have life figured out even at my age. Maybe I never actually will either. 🤔 Who knows? I try to tell myself I don't need people, but life requires people... I don't know. Maybe I'm not making sense, lol. But yea, that's what I'm admitting.
Anyway, I hope you have a beautiful day. 😀💐
@YourCaringConfidant
Thank you for sharing this so honestly. ❤️ I really love what you said about not having life figured out, because I think so many of us feel that way but don’t always admit it. There isn’t really an age where we suddenly have everything figured out, and it’s okay to still be learning, growing, and changing along the way.
And I completely understand what you mean about people. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we don’t need anyone because relying on others can feel difficult or vulnerable, but connection is such a natural part of being human. You’re not rambling or not making sense at all. 🫂
Thank you for the kind words too. I’m really glad this can be a place where you feel comfortable sharing those thoughts. Wishing you a beautiful day as well. You deserve that.
@LexListens2025
I need to stop pretending everything is ok all the time.
And let myself feel.
Stop trying to be there for everyone at my own expense.
Not let others use my good nature against me .
Protect my own boundaries 💛
@Amanda84 That's some real honesty right there. I totally know what you mean, 👸🐷. Prioritize yourself, feel and embrace all your feelings and emotions, and know you're a beautiful person. You deserve happiness and all the best. ❤️ ya!
@YourCaringConfidant
@Amanda84
Thank you for sharing this reminder. 💛 I think there’s so much strength in recognizing that you don’t always have to pretend everything is okay. Your feelings deserve space too, even when they’re difficult or messy.
I also really love what you said about being there for everyone at your own expense. Caring about others is a beautiful thing, but it shouldn’t mean constantly putting yourself last. Protecting your boundaries doesn’t make you selfish or unkind. It means you’re also choosing to care for yourself. 🌷 You deserve relationships where your kindness is appreciated, not taken advantage of.
@LexListens2025
I deserve relationships where my kindness is appreciated, not taken advantage of, thank you, I need to remember and focus on this 💛
@LexListens2025
Hi Lexxxx! 😊 ❤️
Many thanks for yet another fantastic, thought provoking forum post! 😊 ❤️ The concept of "letting go" just so happens to be a favorite of mine. For me, "letting go" can be a constant process I guess?
Letting go feels good. Letting go represents freedom. If someone is mean spirited, consider the source, let it go. It doesn't mean that you aren't allowed to hurt for a bit, however hanging on to it will do us no good. It will only impede our process of doing good things in the world. Many times I simply tell myself "I'm not here for that" where ever it may be that I am. ❤️
I love the quote from Mya Angelou "when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time". This is still hard for me as I have a tendency to make excuses for others, give many chances, I have a high threshold, I'm slow to anger and quick to forgive. I always like to consider how it is that I may have contributed and try again. Even a cat only has 9 lives though so, it's still a good quote to return to once you are done, once you know you have given others ample opportunity to do better.
I also love the quote (paraphrasing) goes something like "don't roll in the mud with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it" lol 😊 That requires loss of the ego, the loss of the need to be right, the need to defend. Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? I choose being happy and walking away from situations as, part of self care is refusing to argue with someone that's only intention is to misunderstand you. Let it go as you can't teach someone something that they think they already know.
Past wounds, core wounds can be much more difficult. That kind of healing can take a very long time (even a lifetime) and that kind of healing may not ever have a final destination, but instead something that is worked on often. Little acknowledgements over time that it was about them and really had nothing to do with you helps. And so, you let it go............teeny, tiny, little pieces.
You replace negative thoughts, which really was only their voice anyway in your mind with better, healthier, realistic and meaningful truths. They did enough damage, we shouldn't keep doing the dirty work for them in their absence.
Oddly enough, your forum post comes at an ideal time for me. Someone in my family passed away on Saturday. There is a great deal of truth in that "you preach your own funeral everyday". *sighs* So, instead of crying, sadness for some sort of loss, a lot of people are struggling to deal with their negative emotions towards this person. There is always a great deal of dissonance there when someone "moves on" and in that way, that has done so very much harm to others in their life and truly, it seems as if anyone they have ever come into contact with.
I'll be helping those in my family to "let go" now and in different ways. Part of what they have chosen is no funeral at all. No coming together of mourning, no fake song and dance of saying niceties that they don't mean that would be forced, disingenuous. It will be quiet. They are letting go, silently for a bit.
Thank you again Lexxxx for yet another, deeply meaningful forum post! I'm grateful for you ❤️ and the good work that you do here on the platform.
*high fives* 😊 and *hugs* ❤️
@SparkyGizmo I'm sorry for your loss. ❤️ Bless your heart for being there for those in your family helping them to navigate their grief all while you cope with the loss yourself. I'm so sorry, Sparky. I'm sending you a big hug!
Grief is one of those things that everyone has to face in their own times. And there really is no right or wrong way. People need to do what's best for them during this challenging time but also keep in mind that family cohesion is important. I hope your deceased loved one felt love in their final moments. I hope you and your family find peace and healing within due time. 🙏
@YourCaringConfidant
❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for tagging me in a great post once again!
Something that I am still trying to make peace with is the fact that an argument happened with someone who I thought was a close friend of mine. People see this person as really nice, but it's hard for me to swallow and at times, I even feel left out in that group of people. I'm just trying to be detached since a lot of people are just like that in high school, and I don't even know what I would say to them if I wanted to fix anything. Maybe I should talk to the person in that group who I believe I can really trust, but not sure what would come out of that.
Something I'm afraid to admit is that sometimes I feel negative emotions like jealousy. I think it stems from having a low self esteem and feel behind. I don't want to really get into it.
