"You don't drown by falling in the water;
you drown by staying there."
- Edwin Louis Cole

One of the hardest things in life is learning how and when to let go. Too often we try our hardest to make things work but in the end we give up so much of ourselves in the process. In our lives we must learn that we will make mistakes and that it's okay to do so. The important thing is to always continue to move forward, and sometimes that means letting go of the people or things that are holding us back.

The first thing that I've learned to let go of are toxic exes. We all have at least one. The ex that you just can't seem to get rid of. Whether it's because you still secretly have feelings for them, or because they just won't stop blowing up your phone, for some reason they're still around. These people hold you in the past and continue to pull on your heart strings. This causes you to constantly struggle within yourself and have a hard time finding true happiness. It's best to let them go. Of course it will hurt at first, but in the end it will allow you to find the one who is truly meant for you - the one you won't ever have to let go of.

Another area of life where you need to learn to let go is in your friendships. We all have those "friends" that seem more like anchors to pull you down than sails to push you forward. You know who these are. The people who say they'll be there for you through anything, and maybe they've been there for a few problems, but when the really difficult times come around they're no where to be found. Suddenly, they are too busy or have too many issues of their own to help you with yours. These are the people who will blow off meaningful plans. They are the ones who would rather do something that they like instead of doing something the both of you can enjoy. Heed my advice and let these people go. It's better to have a small group of truly loyal people than a bunch of people who make you feel alone.

This last one seems to be the absolute hardest for most people, however, the most necessary.

Letting go of negative thoughts of yourself.

Yes, being hard on yourself is needed sometimes and tough love goes a long way, but you also have to realize that you are human. You're going to make mistakes. That's how we learn and grow. So what, you bombed a test? No sense in worrying about what you cannot change. Next time, hit the books and study harder. You slipped and busted your butt in front of your crush? Get up and laugh it off because life is too short to fret over every little thing. You are always going to have slip ups, but life is all about moving forward.

You have to learn to let go of these things so that you can focus on the positives and continue to move forward, never dwelling on the past.