ISSUE 37
9 APRIL 2025 | READ ONLINE
Hi Reader,
Have you ever held so tightly to an outcome that you squeezed the life out of it?
I have. Many times.
Whether it was a job, a title, a relationship, a launch, or even a vision for how something should unfold, the tighter I gripped, the more elusive it became.
But something shifted recently.
I’ve been learning the quiet art of surrender. Not giving up. But releasing control. Letting go of how I thought it had to go, to make space for what wants to emerge.
When You Hold Too Tightly, You Block the Magic
We think success comes from control. From tightening the reins. From trying harder. But some of the most aligned opportunities I’ve ever stepped into (the career pivots, the global roles, the book deal) didn’t happen because I was desperate. It was almost the opposite.
Because there’s a quiet power that happens when you loosen your grip. And when you create space, you create possibility.
Here are three tips that helped me, and they might just help you too:
1. What’s meant for you isn’t fragile.
You don’t have to micromanage destiny. You don’t have to white-knuckle every goal into existence. The right opportunities will hold when you let go.
Insights for You: Leadership doesn’t always look like control. Sometimes, it looks like trust. Trusting timing, trust in your preparation, trust in what unfolds.
2. Holding too tightly can become self-sabotage.
When you cling to certainty, you cut off creativity. When you obsess over outcomes, you miss the signs trying to show you another way.
Insights for You: The need for control is often fear wearing a mask. What would happen if you replaced control with curiosity?
3. Letting go creates room for alignment.
When I finally stopped trying to force my path forward, I found it. It wasn’t linear. It wasn’t easy. But it was true. And every time I’ve honored that inner knowing, it’s led me somewhere better.
Insights for You: Let go, not because you don’t care but because you do. Because the mission matters more than your grip on how it must happen.
What I’m Reading & Listening To This Week
If you’re craving more insight on this idea of surrender, soft power, and trust, here are a few that resonated:
📖 I Am Maria by Maria Shriver: A poetic reflection on heartbreak, healing, and coming home to yourself. If you’re navigating change or letting go of something you once clung to, this collection will feel like a gentle companion.
📖 The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer: A deeply personal (and wild!) story of what happens when you stop fighting and start flowing with life. Get it here.
If you’ve read or listened to something lately that helped you let go, I’d love to hear about it. Just hit reply.
This Week’s Highlights
It’s been a busy week on LinkedIn. I hit 9,000+ followers (wow) and have built a beautiful community there. Thanks to you if you read my posts, watched my videos, or shared my reflections.
Here are some of my most recent LinkedIn posts:
Using AI to Imagine Yourself as an Action Figure: OK, OK. This might not be a typical purpose-driven leader post, but it’s fun. Check out my action figure here.
Thinking About Starting Over: This post reflects on how sometimes we need a moment to pause and reset. We don’t need to pivot. Or change. But just take a minute. Read it here.
This Week’s Reflection
Where are you gripping too tightly?
And what might happen if you opened your hand and let something better land in it?
Until next week,
Megan
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