Notes to Self: A November Practice of Letting Go
Every November, I return to a personal ritual of gratitude.
A quiet releasing.
A loosening of old knots.
Each year, I choose one past pain—an old conflict, a wounding exchange, a story that once defined me—and I offer thanks for the lessons it carried: the resilience it forged, the clarity it revealed, the capacity it revealed within me. And when I can feel—truly feel—that I’ve metabolized that story in both mind and body, I let it go.
I forgive.
I release.
I wish them well.
This practice was born years ago, after watching my father-in-law carry the weight of past grievances all the way into his final chapter. I made a vow then: I will not tether others to me through unresolved pain. And I will not remain tethered to old wounds when this life invites me again and again into freedom.
This practice has been a quiet catalyst for my growth—making space for new love, new stories, new expansions. And today, I extend the invitation to you:
Release a pain you’ve been carrying
Forgive someone who hurt you
Release someone you’ve hurt—through apology, through amends, or through prayerful intention
Let go of the shame that was never yours to hold forever
This holiday season, may we unclench the past, soften around the wound, and allow breath to return where tightness once lived. May we let go of what no longer serves—and together, rise into the new year lighter, clearer, freer.
Some truths are not rewritten with words, but with breath.
Here’s to breathing again.