Some things are meant for you. Some aren’t.
If you let go of the things not meant for you, chances are you’ll have a pretty good life.
Ever had the feeling that the situation you were in was just not… the right one? Even when everyone around us thought it was okay?
Perhaps it was your career, a relationship, your friends. Or your environment in general.
If you have, then eventually you reached a point where you no longer tolerated those things.
Deep inside, you knew that wasn’t the life you were supposed to live.
Your intuition, that little voice inside you, was shouting at you. You knew you needed to change and just let go.
And you did.
It may have been scary. You may have pissed off people you thought were friends. But you knew it was the right thing, and the right thing for you.
Then life rewarded you. Once you said no to the things that were not meant for you, you found yourself.
And wondered what would have happened had you chosen to stay the same, to not let go of those people or situations. And felt incredibly proud.
Let go of things not meant for you
Your life can be compared to the storage of a smartphone.
Once the storage is full or almost full, you won’t be able to record videos, install apps, download files, and so on.
The solution to that is, you remove all the unnecessary files. Easy as that. You can even create backups and things like that.
Now, in life, it’s a lot harder to remove all the old files. It’s a lot harder to let go of things not meant for you.
But it’s the only way to become who you are meant to become.
Why? Because, just like a phone, your “storage” is limited. If you have a life that’s full of “old files”, you won’t be able to download new ones.
Ever wondered why people who embrace a minimalist lifestyle seem to become happier and more successful?
Those are the people who make it easy for themselves to download the “new files”, to embrace the things meant for them.
This is why it’s so incredibly important to let go of toxic people, toxic relationships, jobs, habits, etc.
Those things prevent you from living life to the fullest. And most of the time you aren’t even aware of it!
Embrace the things meant for you
If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.
Paulo Coelho
I think this quote sums it up. Have the courage to let go of the past, of anything that doesn’t serve you. Take a leap. And you will be rewarded with the things that are meant for you.
These are the things that align with your goals and purpose.
These are the things that are so exciting, that when you think of them, you find it hard to fall asleep. In a good way. Kind of like the night before an amazing holiday.
Remember: your “storage” is limited. I don’t care how determined you are to change your life — you need to free up your storage first.
Now, you don’t have to leave everything behind. You don’t need to buy a one-way ticket. You don’t have to say goodbye to every single person you know.
It doesn’t have to be that extreme. I mean, if that’s what you’re meant to do, go for it. But you don’t have to.
You simply have to reach a point where you are no longer drained, or overwhelmed, by a situation that hinders your growth (and happiness).
Once you reach that point, you’ll be able to embrace the things meant for you.
How to let go of things not meant for you
These would be my top five tips to let go of things not meant for you.
Would you like to share your own tip, or experience? Please do so by leaving a reply at the end!
1. Identify those things
You can’t fix a problem until you’ve identified the root cause of it.
You can’t set the right goals until you’re clear on what you want in your life.
So when it comes to letting go, you first need to be fully aware of what it is that needs to go.
I think it’s a good idea to write these things down in a journal whenever you have the time.
Think of all the things that prevent you from growing, that are not right for you anymore, that cause stagnation. And write them down.
2. Embrace uncertainty
We tend to identify with our surroundings, our current situation and/or environment. Even when it’s not the right one for us.
Let me repeat that — even when it’s not the right one. Scary stuff.
This is why it can be so hard to embrace the new when you’re stuck in the old. There is a part of you that is afraid of letting go, of taking that leap.
You think of all the what ifs, and can’t find reassuring answers to those.
But you must embrace uncertainty. Don’t be a control freak, and…
3. Know life has a safety net
Seriously, life has a huge safety net. It’s just that you don’t see it. But it’s there.
Unless you’re planning on doing anything extreme (that is, actually risky in terms of health) then most of your fears will be unjustified.
Want to leave a job that’s not meant for you? Want to say goodbye to people that are not meant for you?
It’s okay to plan and think twice. But there is an element of risk in virtually everything you do.
So you may as well take risks where the potential reward is so great it’ll make you wonder, why did I wait so long?
Let go of the things that are not meant for you, and don’t worry too much. Trust life — and yourself!
4. Use your intuition
Your five senses know what’s real. Your intuition knows what’s possible.
Your current job, relationship, or friendships are real. But to become the best version of yourself, you want to focus on what’s possible — the future, and the future you.
Not only that, your gut feelings are powerful. They know what is meant for you, and what isn’t.
Your intuition is a wonderful gift — use it! Get in touch with your emotions, your feelings about a certain person or thing, and ask if you should let go of them.
5. Picture who you want to be
Imagine a life in which happiness is your natural state. Imagine feeling fulfillment, joy, and excitement regardless of the day of the week.
Not all the time, of course. That would be unrealistic.
But I want you to picture your ideal life, and realize that you’ll get pretty close to that once you decide to let go of things not meant for you.
Happiness isn’t the most unachievable, most unreachable thing in the universe. You may have been taught it is, but it’s not. It’s normal. It comes naturally. Just like when you meditate.
So if you imagine the happiness of an ideal life, ask yourself: what is it that prevents me from reaching that? And why have I not let go yet?
Final thoughts
In my article about experiencing anxiety at work I mentioned that a few years ago I had a job that was literally poisonous, that was toxic to my wellbeing.
And that, thankfully, I decided to quit sooner rather than later. I was then able to find a much better job within a few weeks or so.
To this day, I still can’t believe how long it took me to leave that job. I think it took me over a month. I just kept thinking about it, and all the what ifs kept coming up.
It wasn’t a long time because it was a month. It was a long time because that job was not meant for me.
Things that are not meant for you are… not meant for you! No matter how you look at it. And you must let go of them.
So that’s the lesson. Don’t wait.
You may be afraid. You may be confused. But the time will never be right. Say goodbye to the old, and embrace the new.
The best is yet to come.
