Catalyst principal, Cheryl Leone, writes for a professional practice in-house newspaper. Her column, Attitudes in Living, is based on real life experiences with a touch of humor and a lesson learned. She does this free of charge to any professional practice or business in their own in-house news letters. If you would like to receive Cheryl's articles for your newsletter contact her at cjleone@catalystgroupinc.com

ATTITUDES IN LIVING 

Learning to Let Go

When I was about 12, winter hit Ohio with a vengeance, first with a driving rainstorm followed by a deep freeze. Our acre back yard suddenly began a glorious ice skating rink. This did not impress me because I figured anyone who thought a human being could stand on two thin blades of metal and soar on ice was an idiot. My sister, being known for lack of common sense, talked, berated and said I can teach you how to do this.

She strapped her ice skates on me and said just hold my hand and trust me. She led me out into the middle of this huge ice pond. At this point my arms were around her neck and I was unable to stand up. She kept telling me to let go and she would hold my hand. I quivered, I shook, and I wobbled. She got me to the very middle. Finally in disgust (I am sure) she simply pried my arms from around her neck, jerked her hand away and skated off leaving me to stand or fall alone, ignoring both my pitiful cries and my threats of death if I every made it off the ice.

I fell down and sat there realizing to reach the edge I was on my own. I immediately assessed the situation and I crawled off the ice on my hands and knees. Her comment (coming from laughter at seeing me do this) was well you didn't die did you?

Lesson learned from this near death experience is that sometimes you have to let people's hands go and let them figure it out themselves. At some point people will either crawl or walk on their own and learn that the worst possible thing they fear the was survivable. You can only do so much and then it is up to the other person. Whether it is our family, our children, or even within a workplace you have to put out the challenge, show the way, but at some point let go and let them find their own way, even if they fall and can't do it.