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While "inspirational quotes" might not be the first healing tool you reach for when dealing with transition or loss, a good quote can play an undoubtedly vital role for many folks—and maybe for you too.
Quotes from great writers, famous historical figures, proverbs, subject experts, and more, can serve as powerful allies when it comes to nurturing your mental health and well-being, says Jessi Gholami, LCSW, clinical social worker and senior editor at Start Here Parents.
“I'm not talking about those cheesy motivational posters, but the quotes that feel like a warm hug or a sage pep talk from someone who just gets it,” she says. “They're concentrated morsels of hard-won wisdom and reassurance that can provide much-needed grounding during life's tougher times.”
Inspirational quotes can also serve as excellent distractors from some of the negative and unhelpful thoughts that often play in our minds on a loop.
“Your mind often can go on autopilot around thoughts that may not be so helpful for your overall well being,” says Donna Novak, PsyD, clinical therapist in Simi Valley, CA. “Having your favorite inspirational quotes around can support in breaking these conditioned automatic thoughts from continuing to spiral and can allow for some fresh perspective.”
Here, we’ll look specifically at quotes on letting go—quotes that speak to the power of surrender, release, healing, and forgiveness.
Quotes about letting go can serve as powerful mental health tools and reminders. “For anyone grappling with anxiety, depression or other mental health struggles, having a few go-to quotes in your back pocket can make a world of difference,” Gholami says.
Without further ado, here are 26 memorable quotes about letting go:
Some of us think holding on makes us strong but sometimes it is letting go.
— HERMANN HESSEThe truth is unless you let go—forgive yourself, forgive the situation, realize the past is over—you cannot move forward.
— STEVE MARABOLIWhen things start to fall apart in your life, you feel as if your whole world is crumbling. But actually it’s your fixed identity that’s crumbling. And that’s cause for celebration.
— PEMA CHÖDRÖNThe sooner we let go of holding on, the sooner we can hold on to the beauty of what's unfolding before us. Nothing was ever meant to stay the same forever.
— JULIEANNE O'CONNORSeek not that the things which happen should happen as you wish; but wish the things which happen to be as they are, and you will have a tranquil flow of life.
It's not a matter of letting go, you would if you could. Instead of ‘Let it go’ we should probably say ‘Let it be’.
It is the same with people as it is with riding a bike. Only when moving can one comfortably maintain one’s balance.
— ALBERT EINSTEINLet go of becoming but never let go of taking action. Stop expecting and start living.
— MAXIME LAGACÉBreathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
— OPRAH WINFREYThere ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.
— KATE DICAMILLOTo let go does not mean to get rid of. To let go means to let be. When we let be with compassion, things come and go on their own.
— JACK KORNFIELDIf you want to fly in the sky, you need to leave the earth. If you want to move forward, you need to let go of the past that drags you down.
I don't regret difficulties I experienced; I think they helped me to become the person I am today, I feel the way a warrior must feel after years of training; he doesn't remember the details of everything he learned, but he knows how to strike when the time is right.
— PAULO COELHOTo resist change, to try to cling to life, is like holding your breath: if you persist you kill yourself.
— ALAN WATTSSurrender is a journey from outer turmoil to inner peace.
— SRI CHINMOYGrowth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.
— MANDY HALELet reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
The key in letting go is practice. Each time we let go, we disentangle ourselves from our expectations and begin to experience things as they are.
If strength is love, then we weren't strong enough, But if strength is letting love go, we were.
— JOE BOLTONThe nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.
— MARCUS AURELIUSThe ultimate act of power is surrender.
— KRISHNA DASVitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.
— F. SCOTT FITZGERALDWe must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
When all is lost, when all is let go of, when all is abandoned, what you are left with is an ocean of bliss.
— ROBERT THURMANThe more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.
— BARBARA DE ANGELISPeople have a hard time letting go of their suffering. They prefer suffering that is familiar to the unknown.
— THICH NHAT HANHThe concept of letting go is a potent and meaningful one when it comes to mental health. “Mental health is directly correlated to a person’s ability to release and let go of what doesn’t serve them, or what doesn’t feel good or helpful in their lives,” Novak says.
“The idea of ‘letting go’ to me means releasing all that does not serve us and allowing things that we do not have control over to be released from our focused attention,” she describes. “As a result, we free up so much more space for fresh perspectives, creative ideas, and connection to the present moment, our loved ones, and ourselves.”
Letting go sounds simple in theory, but it can sometimes require tons of work to release things like resentment, fear, and self-judgment, because we tend to desperately cling to these, says Gholami. And it’s not just about simply forgetting about what has caused us pain: it takes effort and resilience.
“Letting go doesn't mean dismissing very real hurts, but rather developing the muscle to free ourselves from negativity's chokehold so we can breathe a little easier,” Gholami explains.
Keeping favorites quotes around serves many purposes, including acting as reminders to us, inspirations, affirmations, and serving as mantras.
A good inspirational quote can play a variety of roles, says Gholami. It can serve as a “mantra for finding calm, an encouraging nudge towards self-belief, or that empowering rallying cry to keep showing up with courage,” she shares. “In my practice, I see quotes as potent tools for interrupting unhelpful mental loops and sparking perspective shifts.”
Gholami shared some further thoughts on the “why” behind inspirational quotes.
Inspirational quotes are like carrying around a gentle reminder that you are never alone in the way that you are feeling—and that others have carried around similar burdens and found their ways to calmer days, Gholami describes.
“When you're in the thick of it, mental health issues can ambush your sense of reality, making it excruciatingly difficult to see clearly or stay present,” says Gholami. “A familiar quote can be that lifeline, pulling you back to steadier shores.”
Inspirational quotes can be particularly helpful for people with neurological conditions such as ADHD or autism, says Gholami. “For someone with ADHD, bumping into that perfectly-timed quote can be the pattern-interrupt needed to re-center focus,” she explains. “For those on the spectrum, a succinct quote could finally give voice to emotions that feel muddy and inexpressible.”
So how exactly can you use these quotes about letting go? Here are some expert tips:
One of the most powerful ways to use a quote about letting go is during a mindfulness practice, whether that’s sitting down to meditate, doing some deep breathing, or engaging in a mindful walk. “I highly recommend being around a quote about letting go prior and during a meditative practice,” Novak says.
“Meditation is a powerful way to connect to the present moment and allow time and space to release what is not serving,” she adds. For many of us, though, meditation can be difficult, so having a quote about letting go around can serve as a helpful reminder to stay present and allow yourself to release stress, Novak says.
Printing out these quotes or writing them out on Post-It notes and placing them around your space can be very helpful. “Quotes around letting go can be so powerful that I recommend having them around your home and office for frequent reminders to release what is not feeling good and to instead choose a higher and more aligned good feeling thought or action,” says Novak.
Another way to use these quotes is to integrate them into your daily routine. “Fusing them into routines like journaling, meditation, or other rituals creates new inroads to those intrusive thoughts and emotional cargo areas that were previously off-limits,” says Gholami.
What might this look like? Maybe you would take your favorite quote with you when you sit down to write in your journal, and then use it as a freewriting/free association exercise. It might also look like looking at the quote before falling asleep, and doing some visualizations or deep breathing exercises with the quote in mind.
Inspirational quotes about letting go are something you can keep in your back pocket for when you are feeling stuck, stressed, need a mood boost, or are looking for a new perspective. But sometimes quotes about letting go aren’t enough.
“In times when sadness, overwhelm, life events, grief, anxiety and more are feeling heavy and taking over, seeking professional care for your mental health is a great option,” Novak offers. “Remember, you don’t need to do this alone.”
There are many mental healthcare professionals out there who are ready to help you feel better, heal, thrive, and unlock your potential. Don’t hesitate to seek out their care.
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By Wendy Wisner
Wendy Wisner is a health and parenting writer, lactation consultant (IBCLC), and mom to two awesome sons.
