--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only by letting go can we truly possess…" description: "\"Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real.\" — Chow Yun-Fat" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/chow-yun-fat-36038_letting-go_only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess_1795117.png" --- # Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real. ![“Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real.” quote by Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/chow-yun-fat-36038_letting-go_only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess_1795117.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/chow-yun-fat-36038_letting-go_only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess_1795117.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/chow-yun-fat-36038_letting-go_only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess_1795117.png) > “Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real.” [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True reality is grasped only when we release attachment and expectations. **In simple terms:** Let go to truly have what matters. Key Takeaway Release control to experience authenticity. Themes detachment reality mindfulness Mood contemplative peaceful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - spiritual practice - creative work - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism presence non-attachment Questions to Reflect On - What am I clinging to that blocks my reality? - How can surrender improve my connections? A Different Perspective Letting go may cause fear of loss or uncertainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/) [Letting Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-truly-1981631/) [Possess Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possess-real-1124941/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly/) [Truly Possess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly-possess-1521876/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“No point in wasting time with false vanity when you possess the real thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/no-point-in-wasting-time-with-false-vanity-when-you-possess-the-real/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [Letting go of someone you truly love is the hardest part in loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/letting-go-of-someone-you-truly-love-is-the-hardest-part-in-loving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You spend years swaying between letting go and holding on, only to finally realise that letting go off - someone you truly loved is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani/you-spend-years-swaying-between-letting-go-and-holding-on-only-to/) [Drishti Bablani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani/) > [“the only thing you truly possess is your ability to make choices (and to use reason and judgment when doing so).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-only-thing-you-truly-possess-is-your-ability-to-make-choices-and/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“All that we truly possess are our own sensations; it is in them, rather than in what they sense, that we must base our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/all-that-we-truly-possess-are-our-own-sensations-it-is-in-them-rather-2/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“All that we truly possess are our own sensations; it is in them, rather than in what they sense, that we must base our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/all-that-we-truly-possess-are-our-own-sensations-it-is-in-them-rather/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [It is only when we have renounced our preoccupation with "I," "me," "mine," that we can truly possess the world in which we live.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/it-is-only-when-we-have-renounced-our-preoccupation-with-i-me-mine/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [You need only claim the events of your life to make yourself yours. When you truly possess all you have been and done, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florida-scott-maxwell/you-need-only-claim-the-events-of-your-life-to-make-yourself-yours-2/) [Florida Scott-Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florida-scott-maxwell/) > [“You only truly possess that which you cannot lose in a shipwreck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-only-truly-possess-that-which-you-cannot-lose-in-a-shipwreck/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We truly possess only what we are able to renounce; otherwise, we are simply possessed by our possessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/we-truly-possess-only-what-we-are-able-to-renounce-otherwise-we-are/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [I see upon their noble brows the seal of the Lord, for they were born kings of the earth far more truly than those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/i-see-upon-their-noble-brows-the-seal-of-the-lord-for-they-were-born/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [“You need only claim the events of your life to make yourself yours. When you truly possess all you have been and done, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florida-scott-maxwell/you-need-only-claim-the-events-of-your-life-to-make-yourself-yours/) [Florida Scott-Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florida-scott-maxwell/) > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [The Internet lets thousands of total strangers collaborate to produce a truly hivelike result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/the-internet-lets-thousands-of-total-strangers-collaborate-to-produce/) [Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) ## More by Chow Yun-Fat > [In the West audiences think I am a stereotyped action star, or that I always play hitmen or killers. But in Hong Kong, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/in-the-west-audiences-think-i-am-a-stereotyped-action-star-or-that-i/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [I don't like muscles too much. Flexibility and a relaxed look are more important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/i-don-t-like-muscles-too-much-flexibility-and-a-relaxed-look-are-more/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [An actor is only merchandise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/an-actor-is-only-merchandise/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [Working in front of the camera keeps me alive. I couldn't care less about actors' trailers and food on sets and stuff like that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/working-in-front-of-the-camera-keeps-me-alive-i-couldn-t-care-less/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [I couldn't care less about actors' trailers and food on sets and stuff like that - I just want to act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/i-couldn-t-care-less-about-actors-trailers-and-food-on-sets-and-stuff/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [Some of the substance of English words, I just don't understand at all because the culture's so strange to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/some-of-the-substance-of-english-words-i-just-don-t-understand-at-all/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [As an actor we're just like workers in a factory, we provide our services to directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/as-an-actor-we-re-just-like-workers-in-a-factory-we-provide-our/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [This is still a big barrier for me and it is for a lot of foreign actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/this-is-still-a-big-barrier-for-me-and-it-is-for-a-lot-of-foreign/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [You must be one of the few people with a copy of that. I don't think they printed too many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/you-must-be-one-of-the-few-people-with-a-copy-of-that-i-don-t-think/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [That's so different in Hong Kong when I'm using my own mother language, I can treat the line in one thousand different ways, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/that-s-so-different-in-hong-kong-when-i-m-using-my-own-mother/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [As an actor we're just like workers in a factory, we provide our services to directors. But I must do my job perfectly, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/as-an-actor-we-re-just-like-workers-in-a-factory-we-provide-our-2/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) > [Working in front of the camera keeps me alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/working-in-front-of-the-camera-keeps-me-alive/) [Chow Yun-Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) [Explore all 13 Chow Yun-Fat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/) ## More Letting go quotes > [You can think about it, wonder what went wrong, over analyze the situation but the fact remains... it's the past, just let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/you-can-think-about-it-wonder-what-went-wrong-over-analyze-the/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [Then come to realize that you're making mountains out of molehills. Realize how petty you've become. Sure, it may feel like you can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/then-come-to-realize-that-you-re-making-mountains-out-of-molehills/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It’s about getting to a point in your life where you’re ready to let go and move on and become the better version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/it-s-about-getting-to-a-point-in-your-life-where-you-re-ready-to-let/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“I'm grateful you entrusted me with them. But the day will come when someone will knock the sails out of you. She'll shatter every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senayda-pierre/i-m-grateful-you-entrusted-me-with-them-but-the-day-will-come-when/) [Senayda Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senayda-pierre/) > [He never lets go of Annie's hand. Not when they walk, not when they eat. I doubt he ever plans to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/he-never-lets-go-of-annie-s-hand-not-when-they-walk-not-when-they-eat/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-comes-a-time-in-life-when-you-have-to-let-go-of-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes you have to let things go so theres room for better things to come into your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-let-things-go-so-theres-room-for-better-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [In the last few years in particular, I've found that it's okay to let go of culture rather than hold on to it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/in-the-last-few-years-in-particular-i-ve-found-that-it-s-okay-to-let/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) > [If she is stupid enough to let you go, you're clever enough not to look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-she-is-stupid-enough-to-let-you-go-you-re-clever-enough-not-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As an actor, I still have to remind myself of daring to let go and not to repeat myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-vikander/as-an-actor-i-still-have-to-remind-myself-of-daring-to-let-go-and-not/) [Alicia Vikander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-vikander/) > [You can't let the little nuances of life freak you out. Keep your composure in order to respond accordingly to whatever current pitfall is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-boyland/you-can-t-let-the-little-nuances-of-life-freak-you-out-keep-your/) [Ty Boyland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-boyland/) [Browse all 4,617 Letting go quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chow Yun-Fat" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess-what-is-real/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Letting go" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess-what-is-real/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/chow-yun-fat-36038_letting-go_only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess_1795117.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/chow-yun-fat-36038_letting-go_only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess_1795117.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/chow-yun-fat-36038_letting-go_only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess_1795117.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real.” — Chow Yun-Fat", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chow Yun-Fat", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chow-yun-fat/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Only by letting go can we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess-what-is-real/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chow-yun-fat/only-by-letting-go-can-we-truly-possess-what-is-real/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```