Recently I got tired of all my devices being so sluggish they would barely respond. I kept trying to figure out the source of my issues before I realized the astronomical amount of pictures and videos I had been storing / hoarding (over 15,000 to be exact.) Please, tell me I’m not alone in this. FoD (Fear of delete) is a real thing! A good friend kindly offered to show me how to transfer all of my storage into a cloud – and so I began the seemingly endless task of backing up everything, removing it from my daily life with the purpose of creating space for more.
Room for more… there’s more to that. This silly life moment made me actually step back and reflect on the idea that I tend to hold on to things a bit more than I probably should. You see, I don’t like the idea of losing things. Which begs me to dig even a little further down that rabbit hole. Losing things.
I’ve lost things. Hard things. At one point, my whole life was upheaved and disheveled when my children were just of preschool age. I had lost all control of my life. During that time it felt like my life would never be settled again. And so began the confusing idea that consumption of material things, even memories, was important. I couldn’t bear to lose it all again.
Several years past my lowest valley now, I recognize my holding on to what I had with all my might wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it was definitely not healthy. Those important memories, good and bad, shaped the woman that I am today. But without learning to let things go, to release the things I have held on to for so long, eventually my hands became too full to hold it all together.
Can I ask you… what are you holding on to a little too tight? Maybe it’s good memories, maybe it’s bad ones. Maybe you’re holding on to a relationship that you need to loosen the grip on? Maybe you need to let go of the unknown of your life in order to find a new path.
Something I had to take away from my reorganization of my devices, my photos, my calendars, that were all holding me back…I have to let go of somethings and trust that they are just fine without being held so tightly in my grasp. In order to make room for better, newer things I must let some things go to allow room for more. Perhaps there is better waiting out there for both of us?
What’s your take away today? What is an area of life that you can loosen your grip on? Maybe it’s silly like me, and just letting pictures find a new home to free up my mind (and phone) can bring a little relief to our already overwhelmed lives. Maybe it’s bigger than that. Let me challenge you today to take a step back and reflect.
It’s never too late to let go and start over.
Pregnancy Help Center is located between Boardman and Youngstown, Ohio. Located near Youngstown State university and Akron Children’s hospital. We offer no cost services for all women in unplanned pregnancy, including no cost and confidential pregnancy tests, limited ultrasounds, a baby boutique for shopping, groups for women, children and men, and even family fun and food nights! To find out more about how you can become a client or get involved , call today.