The Power of Release: Take It, Process It, Dish It Out

Life is full of experiences—some uplifting, some heavy, and some downright messy. But whatever comes our way, we can’t just take it all in and let it pile up inside us. Like a dishwasher, we need to process what we take in and then release what isn’t serving us. Holding onto the scraps, the filth, and the residue doesn’t do any good. It only clogs us up, making it harder to move forward.

Think about how a dishwasher works. It takes in dirty dishes, scrubs off the grime, and then flushes away the waste. It doesn’t hold onto the leftovers or store the dirty water. It does the bulk of the work, but there’s always a need for some final touch-ups—maybe a rinse before loading, a deep clean, or hand-drying afterward. In the same way, life brings its own mess, and it’s not a question of whether we’ll get dirty, but how we’ll clean up afterward.

This process happens in our daily lives, in our jobs, in our relationships, and within ourselves. We face challenges, conflicts, and responsibilities that leave their mark. The real question is: do we process what happens, learn what we need, and then release it before it weighs us down? Or do we let it build up until it Overtakes us?

Developing this ability—the skill of taking things in, learning from them, and letting them go—is a tool for growth. It helps us experience life fully without letting every hardship or stressor take control. But just like the dishwasher, we have to do some of the work ourselves. Self-reflection, journaling, seeking guidance, or finding supportive people—all of these help us effectively dish out what we no longer need.

And over time, we can even learn to recognize what’s not worth taking in to begin with. That’s where true freedom comes in—understanding that while we will always face dirt and grime, we don’t have to hold onto it. We can take it, process it, and dish it out, making space for something better.