As unbelievable as it sounds, 2015 is on its way out. Most assuredly, this year has come with its sparkles, fizzles and everything in between. There is a knack to letting go and moving forward. It’s not always easy for me. How about you? This may sound logical but it’s not simple: Letting go of hurtful memories, grudges or misplaced guilt encourages forward movement.

What is the secret to living more freely? Try some of these:

• Address issues as they arise.
• Consider the battle. Is it really worth your time and energy?
• If so, what steps make a positive difference? If unsure, ask for advice from someone who successfully navigates through their own issues.
• Once an issue has been addressed and settled, let the issue go. Even if the outcome is not entirely favorable to you, refuse to allow stress and bitterness to fester.
• Focus on something you truly love. While engaged in an activity that offers a positive outlet, the negative thoughts can be minimized.
• If it’s BIG stuff and you just can’t let it go, seek help. Processing loss of home, job, loved ones takes work, time and often professional assistance.
• When you’ve done all that you can do to make things better, move forward. It is not possible to understand the whys and wherefores of all of life.

Fill your bag with GOOD Stuff!

We all carry a bag. In that bag there are treasures, rocks and paper. Rocks represent the stuff that has hurt us; paper is the record of good and bad that we keep; and treasures are the precious memories of positive experiences. When we come into the New Year and hit a snag, we’ll need tools to free us so that we can continue on our journey. We look into our bag. Those who find rocks, will likely throw them at the snag. They bounce off and sometimes hit innocent bystanders or even hit us again. Next, we check our paper. Did we learn anything through our past experiences? Are our records accurate or skewed by prejudice, a poor self-image or poor judgement? Don’t forget to check the treasures stored to remind us that we’ve been able to successful solve previous problems. We are not alone and can surely count on our support system to help us. In the big picture, we have more going for us than against us. We have love, courage, friendship, wisdom, education, family, faith, hope….these will loosen any snag than may try to hold us back. Be sure your bag is full of them!