A few years ago, my daughter Gracie was desperately wanting to learn to get across the Monkey Bars.  She could get to the first bar, but then that letting go in the swing, so she could grab hold of the next bar was a challenge that she just could not seem to overcome.  I would hold her up and assure her that I would not let her fall, but she still had a very hard time letting go of the bar behind her and grabbing hold of the bar in front of her.

Someone said that “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”  Letting go is hard to do.  We hold on, because we think we are secure.  We hold on because we think it’s what others expect of us.  We hold on for our very own personal reasons.

Live life long enough and you are going to have more than your fair share of painful experiences.  If you want to move forward in life, then you have got to learn how to let go of painful experiences.  It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.  If you get good at letting go while swinging forward, then you will grab hold of the next bar and eventually you will find yourself at a whole new place in life.

Gracie finally made it across and when she did, she was one of the happiest girls in town.  May seem like a little thing, but moving forward is a big thing for all of us.  So let go of your painful experiences and move forward – you will be glad you did!