In today’s blog post, I’d like to introduce you to the art of letting go. Those who learn to forgive and release in gratitude and love can move through life more freely and lightly. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. Maybe you’re thinking: “Letting go? That’s nothing new - I’ve heard all this before.” So I’ll ask you this:
Do you just know it or do you actually practice it?
We hear and read a lot, but what really matters is what we make of it. And it takes practice. We’ve spent a long time learning to react with aversion to what’s unpleasant, trying to push away things that don’t feel good. But if we take the time to look deeper, we can begin to see the gift in what appears to be “bad” and recognize the messages and connections.
Energy Follows Attention
Maybe you’ve experienced this: when you resist something, you end up putting even more energy into it - and it grows. Energy follows attention. So when you focus on a thought or a situation with intense energy, it naturally expands.
So what should you do? Ignore what you don’t like and fall into toxic positivity? No! There’s a middle ground.
Reclaiming Responsibility and Opening Up to Vision
You’re allowed to acknowledge what doesn’t feel good in your life and the first step is to reclaim responsibility. This thought or situation exists in your life because you created it and/or because you're still holding onto it.
So ask yourself: How is this still serving me? For example, maybe you feel burdened by always having to do everything yourself. But if you're honest, you also struggle to delegate and feel proud of what you’ve accomplished alone. This is where it helps to look honestly and ask: Why am I still holding onto this thought or feeling? How is it serving me?
Why Responsibility and Self-Empowerment Matter
Taking responsibility means recognizing your own creative power. It’s the key to self-empowerment. Only when you acknowledge that you have influence over your reality can you actually change it. Responsibility lets you step out of victim mode and make conscious choices that align with your true self. It sets you free - because it gives your power back to you.
Why We Often Hold On - Even When It No Longer Serves Us
Clinging to old thoughts, emotions, or patterns often happens unconsciously. Usually, there's a deeper emotional or energetic “reward” behind it - like safety, control, or a sense of belonging. Even if something no longer benefits us, we might keep it because it feels familiar on a deeper level. Sometimes we’re afraid of the emptiness that might follow letting go, or we subconsciously believe we don’t deserve to be free or fulfilled. Do you know that feeling?
These patterns deserve to be acknowledged with compassion and gently transformed.
Next, open yourself to the question: What would life be like without this feeling or belief? Who would I be? Open yourself to a version of yourself that is self-determined and empowered without having to do everything alone. Unravel the belief that being independent means being isolated.
Cacao as a Support: Letting Go in Love without Resistance
Ritual Cacao can be a powerful ally in this process. It helps bring unconscious beliefs to the surface and softens your heart, allowing you to feel gratitude for the experiences - even the ones tied to negative situations or beliefs. That’s how letting go becomes easier - simply because it’s time to move on, without needing to hold on to certain feelings or things. The key is to accept what is. Only when you can look at a situation or belief with love can it begin to dissolve.
We often think we know what’s good for us. We want to hold on to what feels pleasant and avoid discomfort. But paradoxically, this very behavior creates the opposite and makes us dependent on outside circumstances. It’s time to trust life again and the inner strength that guides you.
Forgiveness is Always for You
This also applies to pain or resentment you may feel toward another person. Maybe someday you’ll understand the purpose behind it or maybe not. Either way, know this: holding onto resentment hurts you more than it hurts the other person.
Our minds sometimes believe we need to stay angry to protect ourselves from being hurt again. But every time you revisit the anger, you wound yourself all over again. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting. It means learning, becoming wiser—and then letting go. Not for them, but for your own peace. You don’t even have to tell the other person that you forgive them, especially if you still believe they don’t deserve it. Do it for yourself - maybe in a small ritual?
Everything Begins Within You
I invite you to practice becoming aware of your judgments. Ask yourself: What feelings or situations am I still holding onto, and how are they still serving me? Open yourself to the idea of letting go in love & gratitude - of what no longer serves you. Look at where you’re still holding onto anger or resentment and ask yourself how this might be hurting you over and over again.
To help with that, here are some journaling prompts to gain clarity:
Journaling Prompts for Letting Go & Forgiveness
✦ What have I been holding onto, even though it’s not good for me? (e.g. people, emotions, situations)
✦ What or who am I ready to release in gratitude?
✦ Whom - and what situations - do I want to forgive and make peace with?
✦ Who am I, and how do I feel, once I’ve let go and forgiven?
✦ What “uncomfortable” emotions am I still resisting? How can I welcome them back into my heart and accept that they’re part of life?
✦ What would I do if I were completely free?
Letting Go in Gratitude with a Cacao Ritual
Letting go in gratitude is something you can beautifully experience in a Cacao Ritual. Here’s a step-by-step guide for you to consciously reflect on what you’re ready to release - whether it’s people, destructive habits, or past events.
Prepare yourself a cup of Ritual Cacao * and settle into a safe, cozy space with a notepad, pen, and something for cleansing (like Sage or Palo Santo).
Sit upright and place your hands on your heart. Breathe into your heart space and ask: What is my heart ready to release today? Then begin writing down whatever comes up.
For each point you note, take a moment to reflect: Why have I held onto this? How has it served me? Then write down what you’d like to replace it with - e.g., a disempowering belief replaced with a positive affirmation.
Hold your cup of cacao in both hands at your heart. Call in the spirit of cacao and ask for support in your release process.
Begin sipping your cacao slowly. With each sip, imagine the cacao gently drawing everything you’re ready to release out of your body and into the earth, where it can transform into new energy.
Say aloud what you want to release. Feel how this creates more space and openness within you. Maybe you even feel like holding or hugging yourself. You can say: “It’s safe for me to be here, and I am now ready to release everything that no longer serves me.”
Close the ritual by thanking yourself. You can burn your notes in a fireproof bowl to symbolize completion.
* Here we have a recipe & tips for you on how to prepare your cacao.
Many thanks to Katharina Graff-Haberbosch from Youniverses for the wonderful hero image.
