Letting Go

Here’s a foolproof strategy for getting unstuck. You must let go of where you are to get to where you want to go.

Clinging to the security of the familiar ledge prevents us from discovering what awaits us in the future.

The ledges in our lives offer the illusion of safety, but in truth their only value is to keep us hanging.

These ledges take many forms, both concrete and intangible. They can look like unfulfilling jobs, unpleasant relationships, inappropriate goals, untrue beliefs, unhealthy habits, bottled-up emotions.

Every successful woman I interviewed who finally let go told me:

As hard as it was to let go, they credited that single act as the springboard to higher earnings and happier times. 

Here’s the thing. Letting go is never-ending. It’s something we are called to do repeatedly, every time we reach a pinnacle and want to climb higher, or when we hit a snag and need to change course.

Sometimes we have to let go of the very thing we’ve worked so hard to achieve in the first place. Leaving the acceptable to step into the void is the ultimate act of courage.

How do you know when you’ve been holding too long to a ledge? There’s one irrefutable clue.

Whenever you feel stuck or unhappy, it’s time to let go. And invariably, what you need to let go of is the very thing you are most afraid to release. It’s the fear, not the circumstances, that keeps you trapped.

Success can only come when there’s space for it to enter.

What do you need to let go of right now to make room for something better? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Comments & Feedback

  • Mari Gebhard

    My mariage.

    • barbara huson

      Mari, after interviewing all those successful women and hearing how letting go was pivotal in their success, the first thing I knew I had to let go of was my husband! and I did. Best decision I ever made. Now I have a fabulous marriage. I wish you the best of luck!

  • Lisa

    I’ve been letting go of my stuff. It’s one of my home goals this year to go through draws, closets, boxes and piles of documents and it feels so freeing! Don’t underestimate the power of doing stuff like this and don’t underestimate how emotional and time consuming it is! Some of the revelations about yourself can be shocking 😮.

    I want my home to be easier to clean, maybe create more space for other things, easier if I have to move, have an idea of what I have incase I lose everything in a fire 🔥 and I don’t want to leave my family a bunch of crap if I die one day.

    I donated my ugly, retro dust collecting CD 💿 collection to a charity and it felt so good. Created a list of my music on my iPhone, so I don’t need that eye saw music collection anymore!

    • barbara huson

      You’re so right, Lisa. Decluttering, letting go of what you don’t need, can be life changing…and challenging at the same time. I’ve been putting it off…but you’re inspiring me to take the dig and dig in. Thanks so much!!!

      • Lisa

        Hi Barbara,

        Apparently, there’s a correlation between clutter and trauma!

        I just threw away a pair of old, ratty tatty pajamas today . The elastic had gone, but I wasn’t letting go of them. Not a sexy look! Definitely not a Valentine’s Day look!

        A good rule of thumb I’ve been given is for every new thing you buy, you must throw away two old, used up or broken items. It really does make you more mindful about what you purchase.

        My daily affirmation states that in my optimum life my home is taken care of. Have you ever had a successful career, but your home environment is just a mess?

        I do go into procrastination before I declutter. It doesn’t feel productive and it pulls you down an emotional rabbit hole 🕳️. There’s no dopamine high you get before and while you’re doing it, yet you feel so clear afterwards.

        The Christmas and holiday cards are next. It’s mid February and I haven’t taken them down yet….

        • barbara huson

          Well done throwing out those well-worn pjs! Decluttering is something I put off too, but afterwards am so glad I did it. Good luck with the holiday stuff!!!

  • Jenifer

    I remember reading this in your book on 6 figure earners years ago and it has stuck with me. Funny to get this email now since I am doing a big letting go: retiring early. I am finally saying out loud that I don’t like working any longer. Working no longer fulfills me and is a drag on my day and all my thoughts. I have no clue what is next and I am sure that I can’t plan that until I make space for it by letting my job go. I am taking a few months to let this sink in and make sure my ducks are in a row but this is easily the scariest thing I have done. I can hear the fear screaming in my face about it but I refuse to listen to it any more!

    • barbara huson

      Wow, Jenifer…congratulations on having the courage to ignore your fear and leave your job that’s no longer fulfilling. I remember selling my business years ago because I wasn’t happy, but it scared the hell out of me to give it up! I’d spent years building it to be a success. So I kept a quote on my desk by Carl Jung that I would read over and over again: “For better to come, good must stand aside.” I also took months off…until I got inspired to write my first book…and the rest is history. I wish you inspiration too as you take the time to figure out what’s next. I’d love to know what you discover.

    • barbara huson

      Jenifer, congratulations on finding the courage to retire. And taking time off to figure out what’s next. I remember, years ago, when I left a business that I spent years building but was no longer making me happy, I kept a quote by Carl Jung on my desk that I read over and over: For better to come, good must stand aside. I talk a few months off and then ‘better’ did come…I wrote my first book and I never looked back. I wish you the best. I’d love to hear what you decide for your next chapter.

  • barbara huson

    Mari, after interviewing all those successful women and hearing how letting go was pivotal in their success, the first thing I knew I had to let go of was my husband! and I did. Best decision I ever made. Now I have a fabulous marriage. I wish you the best of luck!

  • Laura

    I retired early from my 6-figure aviation career 4 years ago, and stepped into the void. Maybe not the best financial move–that remains to be seen. Mine was a rich and rewarding career, but something nudged me to take an early-out package and the Leap. I’ve done deep healing work in that time and am no longer the same woman.

    I’m now working two part time jobs for extra money, neither of which is particularly fulfilling but have been good stepping stones. I am on the precipice of leaving one. The second pays better and is more flexible, but is also connected to my ex-husband, now friend. I wrestle with feelings of ‘not having enough’ to live as I desire and a yearning to find true, rewarding work and fulfilling life post-career and raising kids. I sometimes miss my former career and regret leaving my job ,but it’s not one I could easily jump back in to (at least in my mind) even if I wanted to. Now I just long to get to Truth and take action based on my Heart’s knowing, even if it makes no sense logically. I’ve been asking the Divine for Clarity and Courage.

    • barbara huson

      I pray you get the courage,Laura, to get out there and start looking for a job that feeds your soul and brings you joy. Life is too short to spend it the way you are. Maybe just start by figuring out what kind of work lights you up…perhaps reading What Color is My Parachute by Richard Bolles. Then start networking and telling everyone you know what you’re looking for. I wish you the best.

  • Susan Bernat

    I am oh so late to this question. Yet better late than never. I would say that the one thing I must let go of is FEAR…in general. Am ready and willing and consciously letting go of specific fears, particularly surrounding money, or the lack thereof. Have let go of my ‘security blanket’–constant employment, of any sort–that has been with me during most of my adult life. Now I am slowly, yet consistently and confidently, paying off a small amount of personal debt, while daring to take chances on opportunities that previously frightened me, due to a constant fear–inherited from my mother–about not having enough money. Am, at long last, allowing myself to believe that I can accomplish goals, even if I cannot know the entire route that will lead me to them. A big part of this is TRUST…in both myself, and of others.

  • barbara huson

    Oh Susan, the fact you’re allowing yourself to believe that you can have what you desire, is a huge step in the right direction. Our beliefs determine our reality. Keep working on that, keep seeing yourself having more than enough and feeling more than enough. You can do this!! I’m rooting for you!

Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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