letting go...

the phrase is defined as:
let go:
1. to release one's grasp or hold.
2. to free; release
3. to dismiss, forget, discard

perhaps it is a matter of perception but this seems, when thinking in terms of emotion, to be an improbable and somewhat nonsensical feat. yet this term is used frequently as a crucial step to healing from emotional hardships. especially when referring to relationships; the unsuccessful ones. the implication here is that something must be done.
one must "let go" in order to proceed. yet there is nothing tangible to 'hold on' to. so in a sense it is an idea that is fastened to...and how can one free or release themselves from an idea?? the desire for 'forgetting' or 'dismissal' seems to be a set up...one with a disappointing outcome.

let's break it down by definition:
let verb- To give permission or opportunity to; allow
go verb- To move or proceed, to keep or be in motion

here is where it starts to make more sense. the focus in 'letting go' is as stated above by definition, a dismissal, a release, a freeing of sorts. and in terms of relationships it is the act of doing this in relation to the 'other'. but if we take the meaning of the words individually and then place them back together, it becomes something different.
the phrase shifts. perhaps it is just my desire to keep all things in the positive...or to remain empowered through action that does not have the 'other' holding so much weight. the revision of this becomes about giving permission or the allowance to move or proceed in motion. forward motion.
THIS i can wrap my mind, heart, and any other necessary parts around.
within this structure it becomes clear there is no secret to "letting go". it is just being. an avowal to be in the now. there is no need to 'let go' of your past (no matter how sordid or painful) or speculate about the future. you now have permission to just move ahead, toward the things to come...but with the focus of your current coordinates. you can activate your own go button. here the 'other' becomes nothing more than part of the process with which you got to where you are right now, and in a sense gets amalgamated becoming unrecognizable as anything more than just that.
and the automatic trickle down effect is that without effort you have effectively let (in the true sense of the word) so you can now go.
i believe that we are always a fully realized culmination of our past, present, and future. IN every moment we are the essence OF every moment; those previously passed through, presently experiencing, and ones that have yet to manifest. and in light of this it is important to maintain connection with your whole being.
the traditional sense of the phrase 'let go' does not allow for this, but instead creates resistance within the self. within this internal tussle 'letting go' truly does become paradoxical. this seems counter-intuitive...not to mention ineffective and unproductive.
through integration of all things past, present, and future one can see...can feel the light in places that seemed shadowed by tumultuous affairs. the clarity of the self becomes present in the basking of this convergence.
you become like the river; consequently flowing and simultaneously present at the source, along the bank, and in the sea...with this truth the realization is...
you can only dam(n) yourself.