Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.

I’m a Virgo. We are planners, organizers, lovers of a good spreadsheet. Change does not come naturally to us. But even with the most carefully laid plans, life has a way of throwing curveballs. Sometimes, those curveballs usher in phases of life it’s heartbreakingly hard to move on from.

Maybe it was that first real job, the kind your parents were proud of, and it gave you a thrilling sense of independence. But, in your heart, you knew you wanted something different. Or perhaps it was a friendship that defined you for years, the kind where you felt completely understood. Until you didn’t, and growing apart felt like losing a part of yourself.

Letting Go is Part of Moving Forward

I’ve been holding on to a version of myself that simply doesn’t exist anymore. Sure, she got me through some rough patches, but she was also holding me back. It’s like trying to wear your favorite outfit from high school. There’s a nostalgic sweetness to it, but honey, you don’t fit the same way, and the style is… a choice.

Letting go is painful. Even when we know something isn’t good for us, we can cling to it because it’s familiar. The fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. But just like that outfit eventually had to go to Goodwill, we need to make room for what can fit us now, what can help us grow.

How do we do this?

1. Acknowledgment: Allow yourself to sit with the uncomfortable feelings, the sadness, maybe even the anger. Trying to suppress or ignore them only makes them stronger.
2. Gratitude: This isn’t about dismissing the good. Find gratitude for what that phase, job, or person brought to your life. Lessons learned, laughter shared, ways it shaped you.
3. The Written Goodbye: This is an intentional ritual. Write a letter to that old version of yourself, that past situation. Thank it, express what you needed to let out, and then say goodbye. You can burn it, shred it – a symbolic letting go.
4. Forward Focus: Now, the hard but exciting part. Visualize who you want to become, what you want to invite into your life now. Don’t just dwell on the emptiness left behind; fill it with possibility.

Change, even when ultimately positive, is hard. Be patient with yourself. Some days will feel easier than others. And remember, letting go doesn’t mean forgetting. It means integrating those experiences into who you are becoming, stronger and more resilient because of them.