When I speak of the concept of “letting go”, I am often assailed and accused of “not being realistic”. I hear all about the realities of people’s lives and the impossibility of the pursuits of their dreams. It is they, however, who are not realistic. The reality is that they are scared to death! Scared of relinquishing control of their predictable lives, scared of change, scared of the unknown, scared of failing, scared of being laughed at, scared of the future, scared of the past, scared of being wrong. And scared of letting go! Their self-doubt and stubborn insistence wickedly fuel a self-defeating, self-fulfilling prophecy. They have sentenced themselves to life in a hamster cage.
 
Much of our upbringing hinges around a destructive, little, four-letter word, “CAN’T,” often followed by potentially detrimental consequences:  “You can’t do that or you’ll get hurt.” “You can’t wander away or you’ll get lost.” “You can’t wear those strange clothes or people will make fun of you.” “You can’t make a mistake or you’ll let down your teammates.” Can’t, can’t can’t!  But the truth—the reality, per se—is that you can, can, can!

In Awaken the Giant Within, author, Anthony Robbins writes of an amazing man who became paralyzed from the neck down at the age of fourteen.  Ed Roberts is confined to a wheel chair

and breathes through a mechanical device. Robbins expounds, “Facing a multitude of myths about the capabilities of the physically challenged, Ed educated the public and initiated everything from wheelchair access ramps and special parking spaces to grab bars. He became the first quadriplegic to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, and he eventually held the position of director of the California State Department of Rehabilitation.” Ed Roberts swam against that tide and helped millions along the way. Why? How?

From the moment of birth, your well-meaning parents and caretakers (hopefully) lovingly protected you from harm of every sort—strategically keeping you on the course of the tried and true. Protection is, after all, a primal instinct. Protection of our physical selves, of our egos, of our possessions, and of course, of our loved ones. However, as we mature, we feel compelled to free ourselves of that proverbial “Can’t trap.” When you do the work necessary and consciously travel your own path, you grow to realize that many of these rules have worn out their purpose. New, constructive guidelines must be initiated if you are to evolve into a fully realized human being. Pure logic substantiates that that entails letting go. Changing. Growing.