--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Was it hard? I ask. 'Letting go? Not as…" description: "\"Was it hard? I ask. 'Letting go? Not as hard as holding on to something that wasn't real.'\" — Lisa Schroeder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/lisa-schroeder-2932_hard_was-it-hard-i-ask-letting-go-not-as-hard_2264049.jpg" --- # Was it hard? I ask. 'Letting go? Not as hard as holding on… ![“Was it hard? I ask. 'Letting go? Not as hard as holding on to something that wasn't real.'” quote by Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/lisa-schroeder-2932_hard_was-it-hard-i-ask-letting-go-not-as-hard_2264049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/lisa-schroeder-2932_hard_was-it-hard-i-ask-letting-go-not-as-hard_2264049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/lisa-schroeder-2932_hard_was-it-hard-i-ask-letting-go-not-as-hard_2264049.jpg) > “Was it hard? I ask. 'Letting go? Not as hard as holding on to something that wasn't real.'” [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Letting go of false attachments is easier than clinging to them. **In simple terms:** Releasing illusion is easier than holding onto it. Key Takeaway Release what isn’t real. Themes attachment acceptance self‑growth Mood reflective hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - personal healing - self‑esteem - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What illusion are you still holding? - How does letting go change your life? A Different Perspective Holding onto false beliefs can cause lingering pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heartbreak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartbreak/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [“Was it hard?” I ask. “Letting go?” “Not as hard as holding on to something that wasn’t real.” I gulp. “Can I ask how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/was-it-hard-i-ask-letting-go-not-as-hard-as-holding-on-to-something/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“I held on longer than I should have." "So now you've let go?" "Well, I still care about you. But yeah I think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-held-on-longer-than-i-should-have-so-now-you-ve-let-go-well-i-still/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [Letting go is hard, but sometimes holding on is harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonirose/letting-go-is-hard-but-sometimes-holding-on-is-harder/) Tonirose > [The act of 'letting go' is actually very easy - it's effortless. Thinking about, talking about, and contemplating 'letting go' is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-brown/the-act-of-letting-go-is-actually-very-easy-it-s-effortless-thinking/) [Mike Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-brown/) > [Letting go is hard, but oftentimes holding on is harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanxx-s/letting-go-is-hard-but-oftentimes-holding-on-is-harder/) [JeanXX's](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanxx-s/) > [She was still waiting for him to come back to her, even though he wasn't going to. She was still holding out for something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/she-was-still-waiting-for-him-to-come-back-to-her-even-though-he-wasn/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [I was a phone canvasser, and I was terrible at it. It's really hard to ask for money, especially over the phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-jean-pierre/i-was-a-phone-canvasser-and-i-was-terrible-at-it-it-s-really-hard-to/) [Karine Jean-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-jean-pierre/) > [It's hard to ask for help when you can't even put how you're feeling into words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/icy-fresh-ninja/it-s-hard-to-ask-for-help-when-you-can-t-even-put-how-you-re-feeling/) [Icy Fresh Ninja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/icy-fresh-ninja/) > [It's hard to ask for help. 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Google knows everything”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hart/fuck-this-when-life-gets-hard-ask-google-google-knows-everything/) [Emma Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hart/) > [I come in and work hard, and that's all you can ask for, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-jones/i-come-in-and-work-hard-and-that-s-all-you-can-ask-for-really/) [Mac Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-jones/) > [It was really hard to do that at first. You have been holding onto this thing - even though you know what someone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-blasko/it-was-really-hard-to-do-that-at-first-you-have-been-holding-onto/) [Sarah Blasko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-blasko/) > [Letting go of someone you love is hard, but holding on to someone who doesn't even feel the same is much harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/letting-go-of-someone-you-love-is-hard-but-holding-on-to-someone-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Lisa Schroeder > [“One outer paddles around on his back, spinning a blue ball on his tummy. I could watch them for hours. Because they get it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/one-outer-paddles-around-on-his-back-spinning-a-blue-ball-on-his/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND YOU When I hold a rose, I see the soft, velvety petals and smile, because tucked between those precious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/the-difference-between-me-and-you-when-i-hold-a-rose-i-see-the-soft/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“I've realized therapy is incredibly therapeutic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-ve-realized-therapy-is-incredibly-therapeutic/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“His, ours, theirs-- blame needs a place. His, ours, theirs-- pain all over the place. His, ours, theirs-- forgiveness missing from this place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/his-ours-theirs-blame-needs-a-place-his-ours-theirs-pain-all-over-the/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“I peel hiss tense fingers on his right hand away from the steering wheel, one two three four five. With each finger, the scowl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-peel-hiss-tense-fingers-on-his-right-hand-away-from-the-steering/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“When you meet someone so different from yourself, in a good way, you don't even have to kiss to have fireworks go off. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/when-you-meet-someone-so-different-from-yourself-in-a-good-way-you/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“Cade motions with a nod to follow him. He's holding the pole, and I'm the fish on the line. Just how far will he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/cade-motions-with-a-nod-to-follow-him-he-s-holding-the-pole-and-i-m/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“What I believe is that life is music and fabulous foliage, but it's also cancer and wars. That's just how it is. Maybe God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/what-i-believe-is-that-life-is-music-and-fabulous-foliage-but-it-s/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“I'll wait for you at the finish line.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-ll-wait-for-you-at-the-finish-line/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“It brings me back to the moment, and I want to live the moment with everything I’ve got.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/it-brings-me-back-to-the-moment-and-i-want-to-live-the-moment-with/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“Doughnuts Music Love It doesn't get any better than this”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/doughnuts-music-love-it-doesn-t-get-any-better-than-this/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“Funny how time goes on, things change, and yet, some things stay exactly the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/funny-how-time-goes-on-things-change-and-yet-some-things-stay-exactly/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“When you meet someone so different from yourself, in a good way, you don't even have to kiss to have fireworks go off. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/when-you-meet-someone-so-different-from-yourself-in-a-good-way-you-2/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“Absence makes the heart grow desperate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-desperate/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“Friends will keep us happy. Our family keeps us warm. We’ll party through the good times and hold tight through the storms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/friends-will-keep-us-happy-our-family-keeps-us-warm-we-ll-party/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) [Explore all 142 Lisa Schroeder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) ## More Hard quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [There Was Many Time I Had Wanted To Give Up In Life On So Many Things…But Naw F\*\*\* That...I'm Not Going To Never Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/out-spoken/there-was-many-time-i-had-wanted-to-give-up-in-life-on-so-many-things/) Out Spoken > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. 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