Letting Go

Letting Go: "

What’s at Risk: Failure to let go could…

· Lead to a subsequent disabling, chronic or unexplainable sense of loss.

· Foster the development of unhealthy attachments, to living in the past.

· Delay consideration of new possibilities.

What’s Possible: Letting go…

· Allows us to better handle the grief caused by the loss/change.

· Helps us, following a loss, face the uncertainty of the Neutral Zone.

· Gives us a chance to grow in new ways.

· Allows us to more aptly consider the new possibilities in the Neutral Zone.

Suggestions for Letting Go:

· Develop a clear picture of what is actually going to change.

· Be honest about what you are really losing, including losses that are obscured by the obvious loss.

· Allow yourself time to grieve.

· Discern ways to compensate for the loss.

· Define clearly what’s over and what’s not.

· 'Mark' or celebrate the ending.

· Honor the past rather than denigrate it.

· Give yourself a piece of the past to carry forward.

· Be open to new understandings and values connected with the new beginning you are transitioning to."