Relief in the Release

Image by Jeff King on Unsplash

In 2024 I set up a personal challenge to donate, throw away, recycle or give to another person one thing I owned every day of the year.  It started January 1 and I kept a list:  a lotion I didn’t like the smell of, a blouse I’d never wear again, a tool I bought for a specific repair 15 years prior, several expired condiments in the fridge, a text book from college, etc.  

365 things I really didn’t need or want anymore but had held on to out of habit or “just in case.”

Oh my gosh, what freedom I found the process.

If I’d waffled on something for years, the challenge said no more—let it go!  The relief in throwing out smelly lotion because “you don’t throw out something perfectly good” was palpable.  

“Letting go” is a foundational teaching of most religious and spiritual traditions.  Buddhism tells us all suffering comes from attachment — to objects, to how life should be, to what changes over time.  

For me, it’s about spaciousness, both literal and figurative. Room in my house and room in my mind.  

I restarted the challenge about 5 weeks ago, thinking I’d go as long as it feels right. I really like finding something to let go of every day; the release grounds me in the present rather than the past. It also frequently generates a moment of gratitude and an acknowledgment of flow, the ever presence of the Divine.

If this resonates with you or you’re curious, I invite you to challenge yourself too and see what happens when you let something go every day for a month. You can start tomorrow, or August 1, or your birthday, whenever feels right.

Hint: you’re not forcing yourself, you’re asking yourself “What is ready to leave?” or “What no longer reflects the current me?” You’ll be surprised how much is there, and how much relief comes in the release.