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Letting go is great but making a song and dance about it is not on

Letting go of something once we have decided to do so should ideally be easy. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and the possible reason, on a lot of occasions, could be our own innate desire to get recognition from society for this, sometimes very personal, act of ours. Many of us simply cannot … Continued
Sumali Moitra

Sumali Moitra

2 Min Read

Letting go of something once we have decided to do so should ideally be easy. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and the possible reason, on a lot of occasions, could be our own innate desire to get recognition from society for this, sometimes very personal, act of ours.

Many of us simply cannot seem to bring ourselves to give up unless first making sure that almost everyone who matters comes to know about what we are doing or our chances brighten of being featured prominently in the media following the personal ‘sacrifice’ we are making. In the belief that there is no point in letting go unless you can take credit for it, possibly even brag about it, either now or in times to come, for undertaking something that not many do.

Never mind if letting go is always a choice that we make and exercising that option just so that it could be flaunted may possibly lower the value of the act in the eyes of impartial observers. Making a song and dance about giving up prized material possessions or an affluent lifestyle to enjoy the joys of a ‘simple’ life, for example, could likely put off a lot of people, including, importantly, the influential, if you are soon seen back in the circuit peddling your newly-obtained insights on simplicity through ‘inspirational books’ or TV shows for monetary gains.

I admit that voluntarily walking away from, what we typically consider, the good things of life, and that too quietly, takes huge courage and tremendous mental strength and not all of us are wired that way. But this does not necessarily mean that we cannot try to develop the habit of not always trying to seek glory for all our actions, including that involving the process of giving up.

At the end of the day, letting go is good karma which is its own reward. It is only in the fitness of things, therefore, that we try to keep it that way without worrying too much about what others may feel about the same.

[This originally appeared as a blog on R M Consulting, https://rmconsulting.in/blogs-2/f/letting-go-is-great-but-making-a-song-dance-about-it-is-not-on]                 

Author(s)

  • Sumali Moitra

    Advisor

    R M Consulting

    Sumali Moitra is an Advisor at the Gurgaon (Delhi Area), India-based communications and stakeholder advisory R M Consulting (https://rmconsulting.in). He has previously worked as a journalist with The Times of India and thereafter headed corporate communications at the country's National Skill Development Corporation.