The President's Message 4/7/25
Discover the transformative power of letting go in this insightful blog on stress management. Learn how releasing control over what doesn’t serve you can create space for peace, clarity, and balance in your life. This article explores how perfectionism, past regrets, and unrealistic expectations contribute to stress—and offers practical tips to help you embrace imperfection, set boundaries, and find freedom in surrendering to the present moment. Take the first step toward reclaiming your energy and living with greater ease.
Ms. Quadai Palmer
4/7/20252 min read
“Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us,” - Melody Beattie
Stress often arises from our instinct to control—the need to manage outcomes, fix problems, and ensure that everything goes according to plan. We carry the weight of expectations, responsibilities, and unresolved situations, believing that if we hold on tightly enough, we can prevent things from falling apart. But the truth is, gripping too tightly to things beyond our control only leads to exhaustion and frustration. The real strength lies not in holding on, but in knowing when to let go.
Letting go is not a sign of weakness or indifference. Rather, it is a conscious choice to free ourselves from unnecessary burdens. We cannot control how others behave, what they think of us, or how every situation will unfold—but we can control our responses.
When we learn to release what isn’t ours to carry, we make space for peace, clarity, and emotional balance. This does not mean abandoning responsibility, but rather recognizing the difference between what is within our power and what is not.
One of the biggest causes of stress is our attachment to perfection. We set high standards for ourselves, believing that anything less than perfect is unacceptable. We replay conversations in our minds, worrying about how we were perceived.
We hold onto mistakes, regrets, and disappointments, allowing them to weigh us down. But the pursuit of perfection is an endless, exhausting cycle—one that robs us of joy and self-compassion. Letting go means embracing imperfection, understanding that mistakes are part of growth, and recognizing that we are enough just as we are.
Letting go also means releasing our attachment to the past. Often, stress is rooted in past experiences—things we wish we had done differently, words we wish we could take back, or hurts we have yet to heal. Holding onto these things keeps us trapped in a loop of resentment and regret. But the past cannot be changed, only learned from. When we let go of what no longer serves us, we allow ourselves to move forward with greater freedom and lightness.
A helpful practice in letting go is mindfulness, which teaches us to stay present rather than dwell on what we cannot change. The next time stress begins to rise, try this simple exercise:
Pause and take a deep breath. Inhale for four seconds, hold for four, then exhale for four. Repeat until you feel more centered.
Ask yourself: Is this something I can control? If not, visualize yourself setting it down like a heavy bag.
Replace tension with trust. Remind yourself that you are capable, resilient, and equipped to handle whatever comes next.
Letting go is an act of self-care, a way of reclaiming your energy, and a path toward a more balanced and fulfilling life. This month, take a moment to reflect: What are you holding onto that is causing unnecessary stress? What worries, grudges, or unrealistic expectations can you release? The more we practice letting go, the more space we create for peace, joy, and new possibilities.