Let Go

Thanks to Frozen and the Disney franchise, it has never been more popular to say the words “Let it go.”

At the single mention of the phrase, one can hear the melody and the words of the song ringing in the air. To ‘let it go’ is not a foreign concept to us. The application is a little bit fuzzy, though.

What does it look like to let go? Why should we let go? Wouldn’t it be better to grip onto the very thing you are afraid of losing, that one thing that identified you for so long?

Wouldn’t it be better to cling onto the shame from a mistake that caused so much devastation?

No.

It is time to let go.

With the new year, people typically make some set of goals and plans and resolutions for the new year. “New year, new me” is the anthem heard for the first few weeks of January, until the first time that someone slips on their goals. Then it’s usually followed by drowning sorrows in buckets of ice cream and fried chicken.

“Oh well, there’s always next year.”

“I’ll never change.”

“Why can’t I do this?”

The desire to change and grow is not a bad thing. In fact, growth is essential to living. We cannot live without growing in some kind of way.

One essential part of growth? Cutting away the dead parts, letting go of what no longer works.

You see, I can want to make all the good changes in my life. Positive attributes, healthy habits. I can add these all I want, but I must first make room for them.

A classic example: working out 1 hour per day but eating 5,000 calories. The huge caloric intake is counterproductive to the calories burned, which means I am not going to lose weight. However, if I change what I eat and modify my exercise, I can meet the goal of weight loss.

If I want to be healthy in my mind but I’m constantly doom scrolling, my mind will rot.

If I want to be healthy in mind and spirit for my future kids but I’m not taking time to heal from generational trauma, my kids will have a limited success rate in life.

What I refuse to heal in me will be passed down to my kids.

I think I can safely say that 2025 was not the kindest year or easiest year for most people. I’ve heard numerous stories of tragedy and heartbreak while experiencing my own.

One day at the end of December 2025, I found a couple videos of couples that did this project together called Letting Go Plates. The idea was that the couple writes things on a plate that they want to let go of in their relationship. Then together, they smash the plate to symbolize letting go of said things.

I really liked the idea of this, so I told a few of my friends that we should get together and do this. We were already going to be together for a game day on New Years day. So we gathered our supplies and set out on this project.

We took our blank white plates from the dollar store and permanent markers and began to write.

There was no guidelines or rules, just write what you want to let go of.

After we finished writing, we took our plates outside. We thought it would be smart to leave the plate in a plastic bag in order to minimize clean up. It quickly became evident that would not work, after I forcefully slammed the plate on the ground. Shards scattered, ripping through the plastic bag. It was not to be contained. The others learned from me and were more gentle with their plates.

I don’t know if I can describe the freedom and the release that came from writing those things down and smashing that plate.

Letting go of the past and the bad habits will enlarge your capacity for more greatness and goodness in your life.

When you let go, your hands are now ready to receive.

Empty your hands, let go.

Reach forward with all the best hope for a brighter future.