5 Things to Let Go of This Full Moon

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The full moon marks the beginning of the moon’s waning phase. This means that the period from the full moon to the next new moon is a time of letting go. It’s a natural opportunity to release what no longer serves our highest good to make room for new moon blessings with the next cycle.

What do you need to release? If you need some ideas, here are five things to let go of this full moon.

1. Caring what others think

“What will they think?” How often do you ask yourself this? Hell, I’ve lost sleep over this question!

For example, when I was studying for the LSAT over ten years ago now, I worried what my brilliant college friends would think if I didn’t get into a top law school.

Once at a top law school, I hated it. But I worried what everyone back home would think if I dropped out. So I stuck it out not because I’m not a quitter or I thought I’d learn to love it if I just found my niche, but because I didn’t want people to think I couldn’t cut it.

And I can’t believe I’m revealing this, but here goes: I went six figures into debt because of what other people may have thought.

I’m going to say that one more time for the people in the back. I went six figures into debt because of what other people may have thought.

May. May! I didn’t even know if those motherfuckers thought it! But they may have, and that was enough for me.

So maybe this full moon can finally be the moment you stop caring what others think. Because here’s the harsh truth about it: You can’t win! No matter how hard you try, you will never please everyone.

Others will judge you no matter what you do, so you might as well do what you want.

(Related: How to Get Over Yourself – and Other’s Opinions of You)

2. The need to control everything

Sometimes, we like to control as much of the world around us as we can as a way to prevent or manage anxiety. After all, uncertainty or chaos are definitely anxiety triggers for many people.

Other times, we feel the need to control everything because we have trust issues. We either don’t trust others enough to delegate tasks or get help, or we don’t trust that the Universe (or God, if you will) has our back and will deliver.

And that’s actually holding us back from success!

Allow me to use a tennis metaphor (not because I play tennis at all but it seems to make sense in this context). In tennis, you control your serve, but once you send the ball over the net, you have to wait for it to come back in whatever form it does. You can’t just serve and serve and serve forever and ever and call that a game, or a life. When the ball is in our court, we can control what happens. But half the time the ball is not in our court. And that’s when we need to learn to let go of the need to control.

We need to foster patience and trust that everything happens for a reason and that when we are taking aligned action and working toward our dreams, everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.

(Related: Follow the Moon Cycle for a Balanced Life)

3. Anxiety spirals

If you have an anxiety disorder like me, this is easier said than done. I get it!

But maybe for this full moon, you can decide to be more mindful of your anxiety and take affirmative steps to prevent anxiety from turning into a full-blown spiral or attack.

For me, that looks like breath work, affirmations, gratitudes, or some combination thereof.

Get help if you need it, try some of these or other coping strategies, and track your progress. In fact, click here for the workbook my therapist recommended to me for proven ways to cope with extreme anxiety.

4. Perfectionism

I am intimately familiar with the intricacies of perfectionism. It’s a flaw most people brag about at job interviews or when guests come over to an immaculate home. But in reality, perfectionism is a form of fear and self-loathing.

There. I said it.

Perfectionists are so afraid to make mistakes and so afraid to be judged negatively by others that they self-impose impossibly exacting standards and, in so doing, can drastically limit their enjoyment of life.

(Related: 10 Ways to Overcome Perfectionism)

5. The hustle and grind

This is my favorite one because it’s the most controversial.

Perhaps this full moon you can finally let go of the hustle and grind mentality so many Americans live and die by. What do I mean? Just be lazy and stop working hard? Absolutely not!

What I mean when I say let go of the hustle mentality is to let go of the false belief that we must work ourselves to the bone to be successful. That if you want more money, you need to put in more hours.  That if you don’t hustle and kill yourself on the hamster wheel, you’re never going to “make it.” That anybody who doesn’t work as hard or as long as you doesn’t deserve their wealth or success. That nobody likes their job, that’s why it’s called work!

Because those are just not true.

Instead, I invite you to start thinking about how taking more aligned and authentic action can actually get you into a more natural and abundant flow with the energy of the Universe such that success (whether that’s in the form of money, joy, love, health, or all of the above) comes to you more easily and more naturally.

(Ready for more? Click here for 10 simple yet magical full moon rituals for letting go.)