“I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.”
― Yann Martel, Life of Pi
From the very moment we come into existence as a human life form, our journey begins with the simple act of letting go. Whether it is about the act of letting go of the subconscious memory of a past life and beginning a new awareness in this biosphere, or when we unpretentiously leave behind the innocence of vital infancy and playful childhood as we step into passionate adolescence. And then there is the art of letting go of the fierce and tumultuous days of sentiments, confusion, and self-discovery behind, to further explore the balance in life through adulthood. The responsible, secure, and committed stage then descends to a phase of physical deterioration and spiritual maturity. At the dusk of this perceived reality, we let go of the compulsive urge to create a comfortable cushion of successes as worldly objectives around us and move towards living in the present while silently reflecting on the past. Letting go of all our benevolence and embarking upon passing on the wisdom to the next generations! In the quest to find the real meaning and purpose of existing, the phenomena called ‘life’ is now headed towards letting go of the entire journey and preparing to begin a new form to carry on the continuum of this cyclic process.
And while we are engrossed in the indulgence of the living form that holds within itself all the elements, we subconsciously continue to build a memory around ‘the art of letting go’ throughout our journey called life. Unfastening the negative emotions so we can tread on the path of sanity, and alleviating the sense of attachment to continue on the pathway to surrender to life. Whether it is the act of letting go of a painful experience, a heartache, or an emotional suffering and advancing towards countering and healing it. Releasing and closing the chapters of the past, people, or place, and resolving to move forward, isn’t it an act of letting go too? And then there’s the art of breaking free from work, profession, or career, to make alternative choices in life. Many times the act of letting go extends to giving up dreams and goals and clearing out space to focus on what matters the most at the moment. Or maybe when it is about letting go of your children to explore their potential and possibilities as they discover life. Letting go of your loved ones through separation or loss. Or bidding goodbye to friends, family, and near and dear ones when their path separates from our own.
While letting go of certain aspects like the desire to achieve more worldly possessions, the urge to control everything around, consistent fear of the future, life clutters, toxicity, grudges, and unnecessary worry, leads to a simple path of living in a better way, there are other instances that momentarily seem heart-wrenching and immensely hurtful but eventually lead to a decluttered life and clearer vision. And how exactly do we develop the art of letting go? Well, isn’t it already embedded in our system subconsciously since the pattern of tiny feet and maybe even before that, and which implicitly remains throughout our lifecycle? We simply need to keep tapping at it every now and then to let it arise from the reminisce of our cells and surface as a protective layer to shield us from the tremendous pain and discomfort caused by the mere act of letting go.
Is it merely a physical distance that configures the art of letting go, or is it also the emotional separation that completes the process? Our ability to feel pain and the potential to process how we deal with it paves the way for letting the momentum take over and lead toward a journey to freedom. And it is only possible when we surround our thoughts with positivity and focus on victories, acceptance, and allowing the challenges to flow through, choosing to live in the moment and concentrating on the present. It involves both physical distance and emotional separation.
It is of paramount importance that we earn back liberty by letting go of negativity, narrowness, and naivety. Every day is an opportunity to change life for the better… choose life… choose to live!
And along the process, just remember, ‘You simply haven’t lived until you learn to let go’.
About the Columnist
An HR-turned-Author, proud winner of ‘Top 50 Indian Icon Awards 2025’, Columnist, TEDx Speaker, Speaker (IITs, IIMs), The Times of India Write India Winner, Jyoti Jha has authored, edited, and translated several books in both English and Hindi. Awarded ‘Vidya Vachaspati’ and ‘Dr Shanti Jain Smriti Samman’, ‘Iconic Authors’, ‘Savitribai Phule Raashtriya Samman’, Judge at IITBHU (Kashiyatra), she has conducted Writing Workshops at IITs and NITs. She is the Chief Coordinator, Let’s Inspire Bihar’s Literary Chapter, and Sr Editor, Today Magazine. Known for her bestselling novella ‘Aanandi’, her writings have been featured and published in international anthologies, prominent media houses, prestigious literary magazines, and journals. Her poem has been appreciated by the Karnataka Sahitya Parishad. To help raise awareness at the very core of a caring society, her latest book, ‘Spectrum and Beyond’, is on autism.
