quotes-about-letting-go

Moving On: 79+ Quotes to Inspire You to Let Go

It’s not easy to move on. No matter what has happened, it is difficult to leave something meaningful in the past behind us. But we can’t stay there forever. 

We might have fond memories of our time with that person or thing, but if it is no longer good for us, then we need to let them go and find new things in life that will be better suited to our present needs and desires. 

It sounds complicated, doesn’t it? Luckily, some quotes can help you get out of this rut! In this article, we will share 80 different quotes about moving on to have something to motivate you to follow through.

What Are The Best Quotes About Letting Go?

"Pick the sadness up off the floor,
Sweep it into the wind.
Close the door on self-hatred.
Never let it back in."

Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson

"Breathe in the fresh air,
Put your mind at ease.
Let down your hair,
Let it flow in the breeze."

"It's better to
forgive and forget
than to share my life
with pain and regret."

"Don't let the past destroy you, for the past
Is just an old memory that won't go away till you start letting it go."

"Never live your life
in the past
Enjoy every day
as if it were your last."

"You will find that it is necessary to let things go, simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles."

"Well, now
If little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you
Little by little
If suddenly you forget me
Do not look for me
For I shall already have forgotten you."

"And perhaps there is a limit to the grieving that the human heart can do. As when one adds salt to a tumbler of water, there comes a point where simply no more will be absorbed."

"If you think it long and mad the wind of banners that passes through my life
And you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart where I have roots
Remember
That on that day, at that hour, I shall lift my arms
And my roots will set off to seek another land."

Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda

"She took a step and didn't want to take any more, but she did."

"There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it."

"Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got."

"To be bitter is to attribute intent and personality to the formless, infinite, unchanging and unchangeable void. We drift on a chartless, resistless sea. Let us sing when we can, and forget the rest.."

“I had to cease to mourn what could never be and make the most of what was possible. And I would begin doing that by trying to mend the hurts of the past.”

“That’s all you can do in this world, no matter how strong the current beats against you, or how heavy your burden, or how tragic your love story. You keep going.”

“Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.”

“My heart might be bruised, but it will recover and become capable of seeing the beauty of life once more. It’s happened before, it will happen again, I’m sure. When someone leaves, it’s because someone else is about to arrive – I’ll find love again.”

“You will evolve past certain people. Let yourself.”

“It’s amazing, really, how in one instant a wall can be torn down or climbed over. Misconceptions can be shattered, illusions dashed, dreams irrevocably ruined. Given the right frame of mind, within a heartbeat, people can begin the business of starting over.”

“I will continue my path, but I will keep a memory always.”

“Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.”

“To wander is to be alive.”

“There is love in holding and there is love in letting go.”

“If I look back I am lost.”

“It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”

Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho

“Even a rock moves on.”

“Memory looks back in order to move forward.”

“If it doesn’t agree with your spirit, let it go.”

“You loved him enough to let him leave… Now you need to love yourself enough to let him go.”

“Sooner or later, we’ve all got to let go of our past.”

“Rehashing the past wouldn’t change anything. Time to move forward.”

“Sometimes you can’t let go of the past without facing it again.”

“Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.”

“Look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror.”

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass – It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

“I gather strength from life’s storms.”

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.

“Time heals griefs and quarrels, for we change and are no longer the same persons.”

“Self-pity is our worst enemy, and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.”

“When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road – unless you fail to make the turn.”

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.”

“Often, the thought of pain is actually worse that the pain itself.”

“It’s never too late to be who you might have been.”

“The past always looks better than it was because it isn’t here.”

“Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all.”

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

“What’s the point of pointing the finger, other than to stall your own progress in moving on?”

“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.”

“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but simply moving on with dignity despite that fear.”

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”

“Every exit is an entry somewhere.”

“I won’t let the sun go down on me.”

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

“Forgiveness and letting go are steps on our road back to happiness.”

“Whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free… your true self comes out.”

Tina Turner
Tina Turner

“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.”

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow.”

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.”

“It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.”

"The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou

"Hope is the thing with feathers —
That perches in the soul —
And sings the tune without the words —
And never stops at all —"

"Go where joy invites you,
where it ignites you,
and reminds you
what it means to be alive."

"We are the daylight and no one can go on if the day starts hiding."

You deserve happiness – so move towards that light at the end of the tunnel rather than stay stagnant while life goes by without living those beautiful moments. It is not easy to just let go of someone or something, but sometimes it’s necessary if you want to move forward in life.

You don’t have to do this alone! Find friends who are willing to help you through difficult times. Lastly, remember that moving on is a process, not a destination… We wish you all the best in whatever decision you make! Check out this article on poetry therapy, It may contain some gems that may help you along the way.