You are in an imaginary hot air balloon. It’s just you and all of your belongings in the wicker basket. Something went wrong and you are losing altitude fast. You will hit the ground in less than ten minutes if you don’t come up with something quick.

The only immediate solution is to get rid of excess weight and throw off at least half of your belongings. It’s that or hit the ground in ten. You look at the things and hesitate for a few seconds but then you do what you have to do and start throwing the things you have gathered half your life, one by one. The cargo gets lighter, the descent slows down then you are floating up again, back to altitude. You are relieved beyond comprehension.

This happens to all of us in less dramatic circumstances. We attach ourselves to things that we have accumulated over the years. Some of them might have some practical value. Others we just have attached ourselves sentimentally to over time. Some others are just clutter.

Our mental life follows the same fate. We carry with us a lot of things in our heads over the years–our life story, emotional attachments, beliefs and other things which can linger in our minds for many years.

Some of them are useless ideas that drag us down considerably. Some are emotional debris from difficult moments in our past. Some are just beliefs which we have attached ourselves to for no apparent justifiable reason. Some others are just self-destructive habits and fears.

Are you willing to let go of your baggage to ensure you keep afloat?

So if you were in the hot air balloon situation, which of these mental barriers should we let go? I have listed down 20 here. Do you have any more?

1. Let Go of Attachments

According to Buddhist Philosophy, attachment is one of the roots of all suffering. I can’t agree more. We attach ourselves to all sorts of things even the most self-slapping stupid notions in the universe. Are you attached to something? How much are you attached? Is it keeping you back from something? Is it making you suffer? Look at it straight through–break the illusion. Know that every attachment can be detached.

2. Let Go of Guilt

Guilt has absolutely no function whatsoever. Think about it–what could guilt possibly resolve? It just holds you imprisoned to self-mortification and sorrow.

3. Let Go of Negative Thinking

Pessimistic thoughts and negative attitudes keep you locked in a dark aura that permeates in everything you do. It’s a dangerous line to follow. Know that thoughts influence the world around us. Enough said.

4. Let Go of Self-Criticism

Many times we are our biggest pain in the neck. We criticize ourselves with the best of intentions but then go over the acceptable limit. Criticism then turns to disempowering messages. Let go of it and be kind and gentle to yourself.

5. Let Go of Prejudice

Prejudice keeps you bitter and resentful. It restricts your opportunities to connect meaningfully with others.

Self-criticism will only wear you down. Let it go.

6. Let Go of Compulsive Thinking

Do you keep on doing something just because you feel you have to do it without any apparent reason? It’s time to honestly reflect on its usefulness and its side-effects.

7. Let Go of the Need for Others’ Approval

We often tend to seek approval from others. This is an attention-seeking behaviour and one which threatens our self-confidence and authenticity.

8. Let Go of Limiting Beliefs

Most of our limits are self-imposed. Life doesn’t have defined limits. Our beliefs do. Learn to identify the beliefs which narrow down your possibilities for action and let go of them.

9. Let Go of Grudges

Let me put it this way–grudges are bad for your heart. Keep them long enough or numerous enough and your health will eventually suffer. Research is showing the relationship between heart disease and emotions such as anger and grudges.

10. Let Go of the “I’ll Do It Tomorrow” Attitude

This is a delaying tactic of your subconscious saboteur, trying to keep you from accomplishing important tasks. Try to be aware of it when you think it and consciously push yourself to do at least the first part of it. Naturally, you will then continue the whole task because the hard part is the beginning.

Let go of the need to seek approval. Embrace who you are!

11. Let Go of Anxious Thoughts

These are born out of our fear of the unknown and uncertainty about the future. The thought that something unpleasant may happen is only an unreal thought we have created ourselves. Ask yourself: “Is this thought based on real evidence?”

12. Let Go of Past Heartbreaks

A heartbreak can take quite a long time to heal. Your heart is locked as your mind keeps on hovering over the same thought. The thing to realize is that in heartbreak, it is not the loss that makes you suffer but the idea you create in your head about that loss.

13. Let Go of Bad Memories

Sometimes we remember unpleasant things that stir up some sad feelings in us. Bad memories make you relive those sad moments in the present. Keep them where they are–in the past.

14. Let Go of Useless Things

We also attach ourselves to things of all sort. Sometimes we clutter our life with useless objects. Let go of them and simplify your working and living environment.

15. Let Go of Bad Company

If there are people around you that are insincere, harbour envy, are highly pessimistic or disempowering, keep away from them.

16. Let Go of the Idea that You Are a Product of Your Past

One very common mistake we fall into is the belief that we are determined by our past experiences. This limits our view on future possibilities since we are stuck in believing that the future can only be more of the same as our past.

Free yourself from heartbreak and the stories of your past.

17. Let Go of Identifying Yourself with Your Job/Role

This is one of the risks of modern day life. Since roles are always becoming more specialized, we think that we are part of our roles. This makes us lose perspective of our true nature.

18. Let Go of Counterproductive Habits

These are the repetitive patterns of behavior that obstruct or distract you from constructive and productive behavior. They can be anything from watching too much TV and overeating to self-destructive behavior, such as drug abuse.

19. Let Go of Taking Things Too Personally

Very often we are disturbed emotionally because we interpret people’s words and actions from a very subjective perspective. When we take things personally we get irritated, hurt and disappointed. When you look at life from a more detached and objective point of view, we stay emotionally balanced and focused on our priorities.

20. Let Go of the Ticking Clock

Time is one of our biggest sources of stress. Well, not time really but our perception of it. Sometimes we are enslaved by the concept of time even in our moments of leisure. This has devoured a lot of our genuine freedom and space. Learning to spend moments without the constant awareness of time can be liberating and finally productive.