The tree does not grieve each falling leaf.
It lets go,
trusting that space will make way for new life.

I’ve been holding on too tightly lately. To routines that no longer serve me, to people whose energy drags me down, to ideas of who I thought I should be. And the truth is, letting go feels terrifying. It feels like failure

But what I’ve come to realize is that clinging only keeps me stuck. I can’t call in the new if my hands are full of what’s already crumbling. Letting go is not giving up — it’s making space.

Psychologists remind us that release is part of every growth cycle. Loss clears the ground for renewal. Even rituals across cultures honor this — from burning old offerings to cleansing with water, we humans have always known that release is sacred.

Still, I resist. Maybe you do too. Because release requires trust. Trust that by loosening my grip, I won’t lose myself. Trust that by letting go of what doesn’t fit, I’m actually stepping closer to what does.

So this week, I’m practicing release. Not all at once, not perfectly, but piece by piece. Breathing out the old. Opening my hands. Making space for what might come.

Ritual Invitation

Take a small piece of paper. Write down one thing you are ready to release — a habit, a fear, a name, a story.
Fold it and hold it over a candle flame (safely) or place it under a stone outside.
Whisper: “I release what no longer serves. I make space for what is to come.”

Your Turn

What’s one thing you’re ready to release this week?
Write it below — sometimes naming it is the first act of letting go.