You're not holding on. You're being held hostage.

Hey there, my friend!

I need to tell you something that kept me up last night.

You know that feeling when you're lying in bed at 3am and your brain won't shut up? When you're scrolling through Instagram looking at people who seem to have it all figured out while you're here with your six figure salary feeling like you're slowly dying inside?

Yeah. That.

I've been thinking about this thing we do. This thing where we hold on so tight to what we have that our knuckles turn white. The job title. The salary. The story we tell ourselves about who we're supposed to be.

And here's what hit me.

We think we're being smart. Responsible. We tell ourselves we're playing it safe. But really? We're just scared shitless of what might happen if we let go.

I think a lot of us are living that way. We're spectators in our own lives. We've built these beautiful cages and we're so busy maintaining them that we forgot we have the key.

Steve Jobs got fired from Apple. His own company. Can you imagine? The thing he built from nothing just kicked him out. And years later he said it was the best thing that ever happened to him. Not because he's some masochist who loves pain. But because it forced him to stop clinging. To stop playing safe. To actually take a risk on what he really wanted to create.

Or think about JK Rowling. Single mom. Broke. Probably feeling like the world's biggest failure. And she had to let go of this whole vision of what her life was supposed to look like. The marriage that didn't work. The career that never happened. All of it.

That surrender? That's where the magic showed up.

I'm not saying you need to burn your life down tomorrow. That's not what this is about.

But I am asking you to get honest with yourself about something.

What are you holding onto that's actually holding you back?

Maybe it's the identity you've spent years building. The LinkedIn profile that looks perfect but feels hollow. The career path that made sense ten years ago but doesn't fit who you are now.

Maybe it's the fear that if you let go, you'll fall into nothing.

Here's what I've learned though. And this took me way too long to figure out.

The universe doesn't hand you new things while your hands are full of old stuff. You have to make space. You have to trust that when you let go of what's not working, something better can actually find you.

I know that sounds like some woo woo nonsense. Trust me, I get it. I'm not telling you to manifest your dreams with crystals and vision boards.

What I'm saying is simpler and scarier.

You already know what needs to change. You've known for a while. You just haven't had the guts to admit it yet.

And that's okay. This stuff is terrifying. Walking away from security, from status, from the life everyone expects you to have? That takes serious courage.

But you know what takes more courage?

Staying in something that's slowly killing who you really are.

I read this thing once about how the most dangerous prison is the one where you're too comfortable to notice you're trapped. That stuck with me.

Because comfort isn't the same as fulfillment. Safety isn't the same as alive.

And I think deep down you know this already. You can feel it in your bones. That restlessness. That voice that won't shut up no matter how much you try to drown it out with work or Netflix or scrolling.

So here's what I want you to do.

Just sit with this question for a minute. Don't rush to answer it. Don't try to logic your way out of it.

If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you let go of today?

Not what should you let go of. Not what makes sense on paper.

What would you actually release if fear wasn't holding you hostage?

Write it down. Say it out loud. Tell someone you trust. Do something with it besides letting it echo around in your head at 3am.

Because here's the thing about letting go.

It's not about giving up. It's about making space for what's trying to find you.

And whatever that is? It's probably way better than what you're white knuckling right now.

Harness AI: Your Letting Go Navigator

I've created something for you that might help cut through all the noise in your head right now. It's a custom prompt that turns ChatGPT into your personal guide for figuring out what you need to release and how to actually do it without falling apart.

Here's how to use your clarity tool:

1. Visit ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/)

2. Copy and paste the prompt below

3. Fill in your specific situation

4. Let AI help you map out your next move

You are a Letting Go Strategist, specializing in helping high achievers release what no longer serves them without destroying what they've built. Your approach combines practical wisdom, emotional intelligence, and real-world strategy. You help people identify what they're clinging to out of fear versus what actually matters.

Here's my situation:
[Describe what you're holding onto, why you think you're afraid to let go, what your ideal life would look like if fear wasn't a factor, and what's at stake if you stay where you are]

Please provide:

- An honest assessment of what you're really afraid of losing
- Three practical steps to start loosening your grip without burning everything down
- A way to test if this is the right move before you fully commit
- Specific signs that will tell you when it's time to fully let go
- A backup plan so you're not jumping into the void blindly

Your advice should be practical, honest, and focused on sustainable change. Use a direct, friendly tone like a trusted advisor who's seen this before and knows the way through.

HOW TO USE THE PROMPT

Here is the output I received for the example inputs above.

Read the full output here!

My Final Thoughts: The Space Between

Look, nobody can tell you when it's the right time to let go. Not me, not some AI, not even that voice in your head that keeps you up at night.

But here's what I know for sure.

The life you want is on the other side of the thing you're afraid to release. And every day you spend holding on is a day you're not living it.

You don't need permission. You don't need a sign from the universe. You don't need to feel ready.

You just need to start loosening your grip. One finger at a time.

The scary part? You might fall.

The scarier part? You might not, and then you'll realize you could have done this years ago.

That voice in your head telling you to wait until you're ready? It's lying. You'll never feel ready. You just start anyway.

To your courage,

Stephan

P.S. Hit reply and tell me the one thing you know you need to let go of but haven't yet. Just naming it helps. I promise.