01/12/2026
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Be done with trying
January 8, 2026
With this new year upon us, there is a natural invitation to let go of the past and step more fully into the present. Yet sometimes, instead of ease, we feel force or tension around “letting go.”
The word trying is interesting. We’ve spoken about this in our blogs before—there is no trying. You either do, or you don’t. The try itself often becomes the force.
When someone says, “I’m trying to let go of what happened last year… or years ago,” I often encourage them to look at it differently.
First, when something unpleasant happens—something that carries shame, fear, resentment, or regret—the body and mind tend to hold onto it. The body holds until it is recognized. But once those emotions are noticed, many people feel unsure about what to do with them. There is tension layered on top of the emotion itself: I want this gone. I’m trying to let this go.
Instead of forcing release, I suggest asking a different question:
What did you learn from this experience?
What did you learn about yourself? About your life? About how you want to move forward?
When learning is acknowledged, the experience no longer needs to be carried. It has served its purpose.
For example, with resentment—especially resentment toward yourself—pause and give yourself space. You might say:
I learned this about myself. I learned that I don’t want to do it this way again. I will choose differently next time.
That learning is the release.
The second encouragement is this: stop looking over your shoulder at the past. When we try to let something go, we keep our attention anchored there. More attention creates more tension—both in the mind and in the body.
This is where the new year offers something powerful. It invites us to usher in fresh energy, new ideas, and a renewed sense of who we are—without carrying the extra baggage of 2025.
Don’t try to let it go.
Simply let it go.
Shift your attention toward what is arriving. What is opening. What is possible.
From my perspective, the energy of the world feels different right now. There is a lightness, an expansiveness, an ease that makes releasing the old feel more natural. Letting go doesn’t have to be heavy—it can be playful, exciting, and even joyful.
This is an empowering time for humanity, for growth, and for each individual stepping more fully into themselves.
Letting go, in the flow,
Susan
