HomeTopical100+ Letting Go Quotes To Help You Move On

100+ Letting Go Quotes To Help You Move On

For humans, letting go quotes are important.

We need to understand that some people are not permanent in our lives. Some may leave as a result of death and some, we may have to say goodbye to because of differences or distance.

Letting go is hard because it means that you need to free yourself from some aspects of your past. This includes various things that have become a part of yourself, of what makes you who you are today.

Before choosing to let go, you may need to weigh the pros and cons, before taking such a crucial decision that can affect your entire life. 

One study found that there is a certain level of discomfort a person can tolerate before acknowledging the need for change. This proves that change is always uncomfortable at first but is essential. The important thing about these quotes is that they provide insight and understanding as to why it is crucial.

Below are several letting go quotes for you and whatever situation you may find yourself.

SEE: Breakfast in Relationships: How To Serve It Well

Letting go quotes

Letting Go Quotes - battabox.com
  1. “The world belongs to those who let go.” – Tao Te Ching
  2. “To 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 Kornfield
  3. “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” – Henry David Thoreau
  4. “Just because something made you happy in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep it forever.” – Melva Green
  5. “Enjoy what you can and ignore the rest. Let’s not waste any energy fighting things that are outside our control.” – Paulo Coelho
  6. “Just keep in mind: the more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.” – Epictetus
  7. “Give up your attachment to having things your way.” Iyanla Vanzant
  8. “Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.” – Eckhart Tolle
  9. “Sometimes holding on does more damage than letting go.” – Unknown
  10. “Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.” – Tony Schwartz
  11. Let it all go, see what stays.” – Osho
  12. “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”- Alexander Graham Bell
  13. “Seek 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.” – Epictetus
  14. “It was in letting go that I was finally able to see the purpose of the winds that roared around me, which were only there to carry me up into a higher realm and a different perspective. From there I could more clearly see the purposes God had in store for me.” ― Ryan Stevenson
  15. “You are not giving up when you let go. You are moving on. There is a big difference.” ― Catherine Pulsifer
  16. I realize there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go.” ― Jeffrey McDaniel
  17. “There is absolutely no beauty in holding onto something that you’re supposed to let go of.”― Sai Pradeep
  18. Ending a toxic relationship often means beginning a new journey of self reflection and self-care” –
  19. “Don’t stay in an unhealthy relationship because you think it’ll get better eventually. Know your worth and move on.”
  20. “Better off alone than with someone who actually makes me always feel alone.”

Letting go quotes for toxic relationships

These letting go quotes are important to help you get out of a relationship that is not conducive to your mental health.

  1. “No partner in a love relationship… should feel that he has to give up an essential part of himself to make it viable.” – May Sarton
  2. “While it may feel scary to be alone again, it may be even scarier to stay.” –
  3. “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone” – Robin Williams
  4. “There are people who bring you down, by just being them” – Malebo Sephodi
  5. “A toxic relationship keeps dragging you down. It never helps you in becoming better.” – Unknown
  6. “Never let someone who contributes so little to a relationship control so much of it.” – Unknown
  7. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
  8. “You cannot thrive in toxic relationships.” – Unknown
  9. “Until you let go of all the toxic people in your life, you will never be able to grow into your fullest potential. Let them go so you can grow.” – DLQ
  10. “A healthy relationship doesn’t drag you down. It inspires you to be better.” – Unknown
  11. “The one who loves the least, controls the relationship.” – Robert Anthony
  12. “Sometimes you need to give up on people, not because you don’t care but because they don’t.” – Unknown
  13. “Being alone may scare you, but being in a bad relationship may damage you.” – Unknown
  14. “Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.” – Hermen Hesse
  15. “A bad relationship can do that, can make you doubt everything good you ever felt about yourself.” – Dionne Warwick
  16. “The moment that you start to wonder if you deserve better, you do.” –
  17. “Leaving a toxic relationship means giving yourself an opportunity to understand your needs.”
  18. It’s better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else.” – Phil McGraw
  19. “When your ex says “You’ll never find anyone like me.” Just smile and reply “That’s the point.” –
  20. “Letting go of toxic people in your life is a big step in loving yourself.” – Hussein Nishah

Goodbye letting go quotes

  1. “Perhaps we never stop loving someone. We just learn to move forward. To live without them because of them. Perhaps we let go to hold on.” ― Caroline George
  2. “When someone you love says goodbye you can stare long and hard at the door they closed and forget to see all the doors God has open in front of you.” ― Shannon L. Alder
  3. “Not all wars are worth fighting. Sometimes you just have to let it go.” 
  4. There 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 DiCamillo
  5. “Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?” ― Leo Buscaglia PhD
  6. “It was strange, really. A couple months ago, I had thought I couldn’t live without him. Apparently, I could.” — Gabrielle Zevin
  7. If letting go, if letting people and things work themselves out in the way that they needed to without your help was the most important thing, then it was also the hardest.” ― Deb Caletti
  8. “I just wanted to tell you that I understand if you go. It’s okay if you have to leave us. It’s okay if you want to stop fighting.” ― Gayle Forman
  9. All that sadness. All that anger. It is the smoke that gets into your eyes. If you do not blow it away, how can you hope to see?” — Anthony Horowitz
  10. “The most difficult aspect of moving on is accepting that the other person already did.” ― Faraaz Kazi
  11. SEE: 70 Relatable Fake Love Quotes For The Brokenhearted

Short letting go quotes

Letting Go Quotes - battabox.com
  1. The world belongs to those who let go.” – Tao Te Ching
  2. “To 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 Kornfield
  3. “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” – Henry David Thoreau
  4. “Just because something made you happy in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep it forever.” – Melva Green
  5. “Enjoy what you can and ignore the rest. Let’s not waste any energy fighting things that are outside our control.” – Paulo Coelho
  6. “Even on my weakest days I get a little bit stronger.” ― Sara Evans
  7. “Pain will leave you when you let go.” ― Jeremy Aldana
  8. “Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.” ― Nicole Sobon
  9. There’s a weird freedom in letting go of what you lost and looking forward to the possibilities the empty space leaves behind.” ― James Lanman
  10. “When it comes to love and loss, acceptance is never easy. We can’t make someone see all we have to give, make them love us, or make them change. All we can do is move on and stop wasting time.” — April Mae Monterrosa
  11. SEE: 50+ Priority Quotes to Make You Better

Letting go quotes about love

Love hurts, but with these letting go quotes, it can hurt less.

Letting Go Quotes - battabox.com
  1. “Love is never supposed to hurt. Love is supposed to heal, to be your haven from misery, to make living worthwhile.” ― Mia Asher
  2. “Never love something so much that you can’t let go of it.” ― Ginni Rometty
  3. “If love feels more wrong than right, let it go because love is a privileged choice, a powerful force, a beautiful miracle.” ― Farah Ayaad
  4. “Good-bye to the past, with its mysteries which would never be fully unfolded.” ― Iris Murdoch
  5. “The hard part of loving is that one has to learn so often to let go of those we love, so they can do things, so they can grow, so they can return to us with an even richer, deeper love.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
  6. “I think that you never fall out of love with somebody, you just let go and move on.” ― Ashley Rickards
  7. “When you loved someone and had to let them go, there will always be that small part of yourself that whispers, “What was it that you wanted and why didn’t you fight for it?” — Shannon L. Alder
  8. “To let go is to release the images and emotions, the grudges and fears, the clingings and disappointments of the past that bind our spirit.” ― Jack Kornfield
  9. “Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.” – Eckhart Tolle
  10. “Sometimes holding on does more damage than letting go.” – Unknown
  11. “Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.” – Tony Schwartz
  12. Letting go of toxic people is an act of self-care.” – Karen Salmansohn
  13. “The best way to move forward is to let go of the people holding you back.” – Unknown
  14. “I know that it really hurts to move on but it hurts more to stay somewhere you aren’t appreciated, respected and loved.” – Unknown
  15. “A bad relationship is like standing on broken glass, if you stay you will keep hurting. If you walk away, you will hurt but eventually you will heal.” – Autumn Kohler

Letting go quotes about moving forward

Moving on is a phase of transition. It’s either a decision that comes after pain or a realization that we should’ve done that long ago.

Here are some letting go quotes to help you move forward.

  1. “Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”
  2. “You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.”
  3. “Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.”
  4. “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.”
  5. “Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.”
  6. SEE: 50+ Sorry Quotes for You: Express Apologies with Heartfelt Words

Letting go quotes for him

  1. “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” — Lao Tzu
  2. “The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.”
  3. 4. “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” — Paulo Coelho
  4. “In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” — Deepak Chopra
  5. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life.” ― Mary Manin Morrissey
  6. “Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” — Herman Hesse
  7. “If you love something so much, let it go. If it comes back, it was meant to be; if it doesn’t, it never was.” — Albert Schweitzer
  8. Let it all go, see what stays.” – Osho
  9. “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”- Alexander Graham Bell
  10. “Seek 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.” – Epictetus

FAQs on letting go quotes

Letting go quotes

What is a saying about letting go?

“The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.”

What is the best quote for moving on?

“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”

How do you let go of someone you love?

There are many tips that you can do when you are letting go of someone you love. If you’re in a position like that, you should take the following into consideration.

1. Acknowledge the truth of the situation.
2. Accept what the love meant to you.
3. Look to the future.
4. Prioritize other relationships.
5. Spend time on yourself.
6. Give yourself space.
7. Understand it may take some time.

These steps will inspire you to let that person go and also to make one move on. It would not be easy. There are days one will wake up and worry about the status of the relationship. But it’s fine; the essence of life is that you lose some and you get some.

SEE: 21 Questions For A New Relationship

30 more letting go quotes

Here are some letting go quotes we have created to make you understand the essence.

  1. “If you spend your time hoping someone will suffer the consequences for what they did to your heart, then you’re allowing them to hurt you a second time in your mind.”― Shannon L. Alder
  2. “Lots of things can be fixed. Things can be fixed. But many times, relationships between people cannot be fixed, because they should not be fixed. You’re aboard a ship setting sail, and the other person has joined the inland circus, or is boarding a different ship, and you just can’t be with each other anymore. Because you shouldn’t be.”― C. JoyBell C.
  3. “Girls you’ve gotta know when it’s time to turn the page.”― Tori Amos
  4. Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.”
  5. “It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on.”― Steve Maraboli
  6. “There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it.”― Shannon L. Alder
  7. “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..”― H.P. Lovecraft
  8. “Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.”― Katherine Mansfield
  9. “Life moves on and so should we.”― Spencer Johnson
  10. “You don’t have to let that one thing be the thing that defines you.”― Jojo Moyes
  11. “Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.”― Robert Brault
  12. “If you want to forget something or someone, never hate it, or never hate him/her. Everything and everyone that you hate is engraved upon your heart; if you want to let go of something, if you want to forget, you cannot hate.”– C. JoyBell C.
  13. “Don’t waste time thinking about them. If they walked away from your love, they don’t deserve your pain.”― C.L. Brown
  14. “Well, I just get as close as I can to a happy ending, then I shut the door behind me and move on.”― James Goss
  15. “What’s past is prologue, and the world awaits.”― Lisa Mantchev
  16. “The secret to life is to have no fear. When you can let go of what others think about you, how something is going to turn out, or how your past will affect your future, then you are finally living life free.”― Shannon L. Alder
  17. “Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, but you didn’t. So you move on.”
  18. “Every day has a past. Every day has a tomorrow.”― Amy Meyerson
  19. “I realized that there was no point or sense in chasing after happiness that had perished.”
  20. “Trees still grow after letting dead things go.”
  21. “Imagine a future where you hold no grudges towards anyone. You’re not angry at past lovers, not bitter about failures, not disappointed in your parents. You forgive, send love, and move on. You’re free.”
  22. Moving on is self-care, which is intelligence.”
  23. Gather your strength, woman. And move on.”― Mitta Xinindlu
  24. “Keeping baggage from the past will leave no room for happiness in the future.”― Wayne L Misner
  25. “Don’t tie your heart to a person that has nothing left to offer you. Let it go. It might hurt for a while, but when you get over it, you’ll see that it’s better.”― Orebela Gbenga
  26. “Moving on means we have to protect ourselves.”
  27. “Rehashing the past wouldn’t change anything. Time to move forward.”
  28. “Sometimes, you’re the one who strikes it lucky. Sometimes, it’s the other poor bastard who’s left with the short straw, and you just have to shut up and get on with it.”― M.L. Stedman
  29. “Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.”– Steve Maraboli
  30. “At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.” — Tara Westover

SEE: 9 Types of Relationships

Conclusion on letting go quotes

Humans are unique beings with complex emotions. No matter how much you want to stop loving someone, it’s hard to simply flip a switch on your feelings. Love doesn’t always go away just because we want it to.

But even if you can’t entirely stop loving someone who doesn’t love you or who’s caused you harm, you can manage those feelings in positive, healthy ways so they don’t continue to cause you pain. Know that moving on is a part of life.

So, if you ever need a confidence boost to get rid of toxic attachments, you can refer to any of the letting go quotes above.

Oluwatoyin Odunuyi
Oluwatoyin Odunuyihttps://linktr.ee/ToyinAjua
Oluwatoyin Eria-Ajua Odunuyi resides in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria. In 2020, she received a BSc in Mass communication from Caleb University and specialized in print journalism. Toyin loves to write romance novels because she is obsessed with living in a never-ever-land and often lives through her books. She presently owns a 5-year blog called "An Inclusive Kind world" where she speaks on Autism and society's role in pushing for awareness and inclusion.