‘Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.’

As the Beatles croon away on my speakers this evening, I sit here and think about how impactful those three little words are.

I used to be the type of person that held on to grudges forever. Hurtful words uttered by ill-meaning people and let-downs used to simmer around in my mind for ages. I would rehash negative situations in my head over and over again, thinking of clever come-backs I should have said or actions I could have taken. Heart-breaks and break-ups would plague me for a long time; soulful sad songs and weepy movies just adding more fuel to the emotional fire. Talking to other similar-minded people I realized it was so common among us to keep thinking about and analyzing every little thing an ex had done or how a friend had slighted us. Our brains simmer and steam with all these negative thoughts, which more often than not lead to a very self destructive blow up. It is an easy trap we fall into i.e. letting our pasts run our present rather than learning from it and moving on. We don’t realize that despite the time, energy and thought we put into such things, the people concerned have no clue and are happy getting on with their day to day lives; ultimately the only one affected is the one with all the baggage.

I don’t know how and when the shift in my psyche took place, but I’m definitely glad it did! Part of it was conscious and part of it I guess was a basic human evolution. One of my main outlets was writing. By writing down what I felt, I would slowly feel less burdened. Every word eased a little bit of hurt or disillusionment. I also decided to shed the baggage and do more to make my life the way I want it to be and filled it with the people I actually want around me. Distancing myself from toxic relationships and stopping myself from delving into negative memories are steps that helped a great deal.

So now when I face a negative situation I let myself think about it for a little while, cry or vent if I need to and then set the negativity free. Things or people hurt us once and we let it hurt us over and over because we can’t let go. And frankly, I’m worth more than that.