I think it’s a universal law that you have to clear space for newness to enter; let something die for something to be born; cleanse to heal; let go to receive. Just like we clear our lungs to take in new air, we need to empty our minds of dull ideas to create brighter lives.
10 Lame Ideas, Notions, Concepts, Beliefs, and Standards to
Let Go of on Your Way to Fulfillment
1. Let go of the belief that you’re not worthy of your desires. You are worthy of your desires.
2. Let go of the fear-based notion that you have to say yes to everything in order to be liked, loved, profitable, charitable, kind. Fewer yeses can actually help you be more generous with your giving.
3. Let go of promises that you’ve outgrown. If a commitment is keeping you smaller or duller or safer than the person you’ve become, then it’s not serving anyone.
4. Let go of the insidiously subconscious standard that how you were treated in the past is how you should be treated now. Your family, your old boy/girlfriend, or your last boss may not be the best metric by which to measure how you want to be treated. You’ve grown—your standards for love should grow with you.
5. Let go of the incredibly sexy-dullifying belief that you’ll never get what you want the most. (See #1: You are worthy of your desires.)
6. Let go of the material stuff that you just don’t like. In fact, if you don’t LOVE it, make a plan to get rid of it. Too tight, too shabby, brings up bad memories. As me n’ my girls habitually remind each other: “Effin-get-ridda-it.”
7. Let go of the concept that art is a luxury. It’s a necessity. A home without human-created art is like a face without eyes.
8. For the love of life, let go of the idea that there’s not enough time. You are the source of time in your life.
9. Let go of the crippling notion that your needs are merely wants. If you really really really deeply truly want to be seen, heard, met, or respected, well then, that’s probably a veritable need that you must have fulfilled to be…fulfilled. (And you should set out to have that need met on a daily basis.)
10. Let go of the “what sucks” story in your life. There’s lots to complain about, and you should complain. Complaining can be incredibly life-affirming, clarifying, and galvanizing. But then stop bitching.
Create a story of your future and tell it over and over again. A future that you’re looking forward to—a future of fulfilled desires, enoughness, plenty of time, and works of art everywhere.
Danielle LaPorte is the outspoken creator of The Desire Map, author of The Fire Starter Sessions (Random House/Crown), and co-creator of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist, she writes weekly at DanielleLaPorte.com, where over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice — a site that’s been deemed “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality”, and was named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes.
You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter @daniellelaporte.
*Photo credit: admitchell08.
