A Journey of Letting Go
Have you ever found yourself holding on to the past without even realizing it?
That question has been at the heart of my own journey into retirement and personal renewal. Lately, I’ve become aware of how instinctively I cling to what’s behind me. It’s not something I do intentionally—it just happens. And what surprises me most is that my past wasn’t even ideal. Sure, there were moments of joy and personal growth, but the losses and heartbreak often outweighed them.
Still, I find myself asking: Why am I holding on so tightly?
Rediscovering Purpose After Retirement
This realization came into focus a few months ago when my husband sent me an article titled “Flextirement is the future of work.” As with most of his reading suggestions, I sighed—but gave it a try. Since retiring, I’ve experienced a range of emotions, and surprisingly, this article made me pause and reflect.
It spoke about the in-between space many of us find ourselves in after retiring—not quite ready to fully stop, but unsure how to begin again. It resonated deeply. Despite all my post-retirement plans—learning Spanish, becoming a yoga teacher, writing more—I’d somehow stalled.
I did begin. I spent a month in Mexico with a local family, practicing Spanish. I returned a month later to earn my yoga teacher certification. These were beautiful steps forward. But once I moved to Ohio, I lost momentum. Surrounded by boxes of journals and unsure how to structure my days, I defaulted to what I knew best: teaching.
I started substitute teaching “just occasionally.” But it quickly snowballed into something more. One short-term leave became another, and suddenly I was back in the rhythm I thought I had left behind. My new dreams sat quietly in the background.
Letting Go to Embrace Renewal
One day, in the middle of all this, I came across a verse from Isaiah that stopped me in my tracks:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
—Isaiah 43:18–19
That verse felt like a personal message: a reminder that clinging to the past—even unconsciously—was holding me back from the new things unfolding in front of me.
This stage of life—retirement and personal renewal—is more than an ending. It’s an invitation to redefine who I am. Not by what I’ve done, but by who I’m becoming. Letting go of routines and roles that no longer serve me is part of this work.
This year, I’ve made a new resolution:
Stop looking back. Stop clinging.
Start moving forward—with clarity, with intention, and with hope.
Related Post
If you’ve ever wrestled with your past while trying to move forward, I invite you to read Every Story Matters—a reminder that every chapter we’ve lived shapes the one we’re writing now.
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