You know, it isn’t hard to leave things you don’t like - the wrong job, a bad relationship, or even a crummy house. We think that anything we do after that has to be better than what we just went through. And usually it is.
But what about leaving something you love?
We’ve talked a lot about decluttering, downsizing, and sentimentality as we’ve prepared for this trip. And for the most part I’ve worked through it pretty well. But this week is hard for me as we officially list our house for sale and I know that we won’t be living here much longer.
We had such a tough time personally when we lived in Boston, and the freedom we gained from downsizing and changing our surroundings was like an adrenaline boost. We finally started living! And it is hard to leave this place that has been so good for us.
But I think back to the lessons we learned last year about attaching sentimental value to material things, and the danger in giving the object more weight than the actual memory or feeling. That is probably what is happening here.
This house and this location marked a big turning point in our lives, and if it weren’t for our move here, I don’t think we’d be planning our trip around the world. In fact, I’m pretty certain we wouldn’t.
In the final few months before our departure, I’m starting to feel a little bit like this motorcycle rider in the video below. I expected to make the leap, sure, but I didn’t expect a plane to come flying in underneath me. It has me a little bit unsettled, but I know once I reach the other side I’ll be okay.
Remember as you plan your big dreams that you do have to give some things up to get what you want. Don’t let the fear of letting go keep you from reaching for your dreams.
“You can have it all, just not all at once.”
How do you handle letting go?
About Betsy
Is kicking and screaming an option?
I am in the middle of moving from a rented house to a new-to-us home… So much STUFF-and so many memories. It is hard to let go of it, but moving from a large spread out house to a much smaller one with less storage means that it is a little easier to really get down to giving/selling/tossing items that really are just “stuff”. The added bonus of not having to unpack it at the new house just is an extra incentive! (just found your blog from My Year Without Spending and I like what I see! Keep up the great work)
good ruminations here. i like what you say about objects holding more weight than the memory. when often, the memory really should suffice! i think to let go of objects, thoughts, ideas helps transcend to your next path. it’s important to observe chapters in your life but also to move on to the next one!
Hi. Letting go isn’t easy for me. I will be retiring in 5 years and my husband and I have some lofty goals over that time frame, including paying of our house and buying (hopefully) 2 rental homes in addition to ours. Retiring won’t be an issue as the career I’m in has served its purpose, but the thought of leaping to the next career as landlord and property owner, is a little daunting! I don’t like big risk in most situations and that’s how this feels, but letting go of that fear and believing in what my husband and I are capable of accomplishing is slowly getting easier. There doesn’t seem to be a formula for letting go. You just have to take baby steps and just move forward! Finding a good support system is very important too.