People often say, “Let it go. Move on.” But what does that really mean, and why should we let things go?
Is it always beneficial to move forward? What about our goals and persistence? Doesn’t letting go mean resigning from our personal beliefs, hopes, and decisions- things we may have worked very hard for?
I set out to explore the concept of letting go to understand whether this mindset is always appropriate, and when it truly serves us.
To make this exploration more comprehensive, I focused on several different approaches presented by well-known figures with large audiences on social media and educational platforms. They are modern thought leaders who popularize letting go as a tool for reducing suffering, regaining control of the mind, and creating a more intentional and empowered life - each through a different blend of psychology, neuroscience, spirituality, and practical self-development.
Mel Robbins - Motivational speaker and author focused on practical, action-based psychology.
Shi Heng Yi - Shaolin monk teaching discipline, mindfulness, and detachment from the material world.
Dr. Joe Dispenza - Neuroscience doctor and teacher, blending meditation with personal transformation.
Mel Robbins - Let go to take action
As a mother, wife, and businesswoman, Mel Robbins presents one of the most practical approaches to letting go. She teaches that trying to force other people to think, feel, or behave the way you want is exhausting and ineffective. By giving others space and stopping the attempt to control the world through force or constant reaction, you reclaim your energy and personal power. Mel often illustrates this with a common example:
Imagine you’re driving to work, already running a little late, when another car cuts in front of you. Your hands tighten on the steering wheel, and your mind instantly starts thinking: “How rude. What is wrong with people?” Your body fills with anger, even though the other driver is already gone.
Mel Robbins uses this moment to show how we give away our power by letting a stranger control our mood and energy. Letting go, in this case, means choosing not to react: you say, “Let them,” take a breath, and keep driving. The situation doesn’t change, but you do - you arrive calmer, focused, and still in control of your day.
Let them be wrong about you
Shi Heng Yi - Let go to reduce attachment
As a Shaolin monk and teacher of self-mastery 1, Shi Heng Yi offers a disciplined, inward-focused view of letting go, rooted in ancient practice rather than willpower alone.
He teaches that suffering arises from mental attachment -waiting for the right way, clinging to others’ opinions, or avoiding discomfort - instead of directly engaging with reality as it is. To make this idea vivid, he often shares a traditional story: a man who longs to climb a distant mountain asks dozens of travelers how they reached the top and what they saw. Yet, while collecting advice and comparing paths, he never begins the journey himself. By relying on second-hand experiences, he loses the opportunity to gain his own clarity and understanding.
From this story, letting go becomes clear. The man must let go of seeking answers from others. He must let go of comparison and borrowed knowledge. He must let go of the need for certainty before taking the first step. Finally, he must let go of the illusion that someone else’s path can replace his own.
In Shi Heng Yi’s teaching, true freedom comes not from knowing more, but from releasing attachment and meeting life directly - with presence, discipline, and courage.
Dr. Joe Dispenza - Let go to become someone new
As a researcher and teacher of neuroplasticity and personal change, Dr. Joe Dispenza explains letting go as a biological and neurological process.
He teaches that many people remain stuck because they are emotionally and chemically addicted to their past - waking up every day with the same thoughts, which trigger the same feelings, which keep the body locked in the same internal state.
A common example is a young woman who wakes up each morning already anxious, replaying past events, conversations, and mistakes. Her mind revisits the same worries, and her body responds with the same stress chemistry, making it impossible for her to become the calm, confident person she wants to be. Because she cannot break this thought–emotion cycle, she keeps recreating the same reality.
Letting go of the past and bringing awareness back to the present moment is, in Dispenza’s view, the key to progress, because change can only happen in the present moment.
The past is a memory that exists in the present. If you want to create a new future, you have to let go of the past and its limitations
💫 The three approaches I analyzed offer valuable insight into the concept of letting go, each viewing it from a slightly different angle and leading to different actions. Letting go does not always mean the same thing. It depends on context, intention, and awareness. After exploring these perspectives, the key question becomes: which one resonates with you most?
In my view, it is crucial to know when to let go. Letting go does not mean abandoning your purpose or giving up persistence. It means choosing your battles wisely. It is about releasing trivial, ego-driven, or outdated attachments and, when necessary, letting go of an old version of yourself in order to rise anew - not for external approval, but for your own growth and clarity.
