Letting Go

One of the most difficult transitions into complete adulthood, for me, has been deciding how much I'll let what other people think affect me. I realize this is not a new idea (case in point, Oprah articles and bookstore self-help books). Still, it's hard to master, and there is inevitably a moment in our lives where we can no longer hold on more tightly to the opinions of others than we do to our own personal judgment, dreams, and feelings.

Really, it is as simple as letting go and letting live. One day, we will make a decision that someone close to us does not agree with. And in that moment, we will stop and consider, hopefully carefully, what they are saying. But, though torn, we may turn and continue walking forward because we firmly believe we are headed where we want to go. That moment of walking alone without the rally of everyone around us is frightening. And if the decision goes sour, a little embarrassing too. But in the loneliness of some of our decisions, we also come to know and trust ourselves more implicitly, owning our own lives more than we ever have before. Maybe it is time to sign our names next to not only our victories, but by our decisions that seem less certain too. In both losses and wins, great people are made. In both company and solitude, solid character is formed.

So here is to believing in ourselves with a robust confidence that might appear unmerited. Here is to signing our life decisions in pen, accepting that we are here to learn, to live, and to love.