Letting Go Gives a Better Grip

Luke 18:9-14 tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, in which the Pharisee is in the temple and he stands up and prays and thanks God that he's just so awesome and that God hasn't let him become like everyone else. And the tax collector can't even bring himself to lift his head, but he simply repents.
The first thing I notice and like is that Jesus specifically tells this story to "some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else." I love that it's one of the instances where the Bible actually tells us why He told the story and who He told it to. There are always specific purposes for His parables, but sometimes the reasons fly right over our heads.

One of the reasons I like my bible is because of the sidenotes and extra things it has in it. In this section, there are a couple paragraphs that follow the verse "[the tax collector] would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'" My bible says that even trying to seem spiritual and "holy" on the outside can produce the opposite effect. It defeats the purpose if you're so proud of yourself for being Godly that you feel superior. Jesus says that the way to God is simple, and this is my favorite part that really hit me:
Trust God like a little child, admit wrong, let go.
Admitting wrong has become fairly easy. I suck at life. That's about it.
Trusting God is something that gets a little easier every time I face an issue that demands blind trust and faith. It grows and gets stronger the more I admit that I do suck at life. If I can open my eyes and admit I've done wrong, I have to trust that God will cover me and make up for my failings.
Letting go is, hands down, the hardest thing for me to do. When I make a mistake, I let it rest on my shoulders for days or weeks (or more) afterwards. I trust that God will cover me but not enough to let go.
What I love is that all 3 of these work together. All I can do is be like the tax collector who does not feel worthy enough to even lift his head. All I can do is trust Hi, admit wrong and let go.