Learning to Let Go
How many times have we hung on to something so tight that we never wanted to let it go? Or held back on trying something new due to fear of failure, embarrassment or rejection? The protective walls that we build around ourselves can sometimes be stifling but they can also be useful during particularly difficult times which create a safe environment where we can heal. But once the challenges have passed it’s important to break out of that protective layer and let go, otherwise we are ultimately held back from growth.
This could be hanging on to or protecting ourselves from anything; a job we desperately want to get away from, a way of thinking that we aren’t happy about, your child as they leave the nest or a new way of life we so badly want to attempt. I know that there have been times in my life when I haven’t wanted to let go but eventually realised that it was the best thing to do.
Let me tell you about the humble lobster and his shell. As a lobster grows the casing that protects his soft inner flesh becomes too tight and rigid. The shell that once felt secure now holds him back from growth. So the lobster must free himself from the confining shell. It can take a while for the new shell to finally harden. So during this vulnerable time, his flesh absorbs sea water and he grows bigger and heavier. He grows a new shell until this one to becomes too tight and he does it all over again.
So this week try to become aware of the protective walls you have around you and try to free yourself. Give yourself the opportunity to grow, like the lobster and create the change that you have been thinking about. You never know it may just be what you have been looking for.
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”