When Yes Requires Letting Go

Well, hello, my valued listeners, and welcome back to another episode of Living in Your Power. I'm your host, Dr. Marleen Greenleaf, and I am truly grateful that you are here with me today as we continue our May theme, The Empowered Yes: Aligning with What You Are Called to Do. Today we are stepping into a truth that can feel both freeing and challenging. And today's episode, the second in our May series, is titled When Yes Requires Letting Go. But before we move into today's message, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that yesterday was the Mother's Day weekend. And for some, this was a time of celebration, celebration of love, gratitude, and honoring the women who have nurtured, guided, and supported us. And for others like myself, it may have been more of a reflective time, holding memories, processing loss, navigating what this day means personally. Now, wherever you found yourself today, I want you to know that you are seen and you are held in grace. And in many ways, today's message connects deeply to that spirit because love, growth, and even motherhood itself often require us to let go. In order to make space for what's next. So let's dive in. Now we often focus on the yes— the opportunity, the calling, the next step— but what we don't always talk about is the cost. Because every true yes requires something to be released. Time, energy, old habits, sometimes even relationships or expectations. And that's where it becomes uncomfortable, because letting go is not always easy, even when it's necessary. Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us to, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? And I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Behold, I do a new thing. But notice the instruction that comes before the promise. It says, remember ye not the former things. So in other words, it's saying release what was, because holding on to what was can block what is being created. I mean, God is always moving, and when we stay anchored in the past, My dear listeners, we miss what is unfolding. Now, letting go is not just a decision. It's an act of trust. It's trusting that what you are releasing is not greater than what is being prepared. It's trusting that the space you create will be filled with what aligns with your purpose. And sometimes letting go looks like releasing outdated roles, releasing expectations that no longer fit, and releasing the need to control every outcome. And sometimes letting go looks like trusting God enough to move forward without carrying everything with you. You don't have to take everything into your next season. Now let's return to this where it says, behold, I will do a new thing. I want you to use this as your empowerment prop and take a moment this week and reflect on these. What am I holding on to that no longer aligns where I'm going? What do I need to release in order to fully step into my yes? And what would it look like to trust God with what I'm letting go of? I'm gonna repeat those for you. Take a moment this week and reflect on these. What am I holding on to that no longer aligns with where I'm going? What do I need to release in order to fully step into my yes? And what would it look like to trust God with what I'm letting go of? You cannot fully receive what's ahead if your hands are still full of what's behind. So in closing, my friends, I want you to know that your yes is powerful, but it requires space. And sometimes that space is created through release. You're not losing anything that is meant for you. You are instead making room for what is. So I want to thank you for joining me for episode 2 of our May series, The Empowered Yes: Aligning with What You Are Called to Do. And continue to live boldly in your power today. And if it gets tough, just breathe. You still got the strength to rise. So until next time, dear listeners, continue to live in your power.