Let Go to Let In: The Unexpected Rewards of the Elsa Effect

You know how when you’re single it seems like there’s no one out there for you - yet as soon as  you're happily taken, suddenly everyone wants to ask you out?

Life is like that sometimes. Once you let go of the hustle, opportunities seem to pop up like crazy.

In a few days, I crack the mic for the first “real” broadcast job I’ve had in years. By “real” I mean: a regular schedule (ok, part-time, but still), predictable salary with taxes deducted, and eligible for benefits. Woot! As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, my heart just felt it was time to plant both feet somewhere for a change. 

And, oddly, though I’ve been an “understudy” at the same radio station (WSHU Public Radio)  for 15 years, having my own permanent position as PM Drive local anchor of All Things Considered just feels different.  

Because it is.

What this means for my other businesses  - actor/voiceover talent and author/speaker - is that I will be less available. Sure, if you book me I will make it happen - but I no longer feel the pressure to hustle for gigs. 

Like Elsa in Frozen, I chose to Let it Go. 

Open Arms are for Letting Go…and for Letting In

Funny thing, though. The minute I made this decision, I booked three audiobook narration jobs, two commercials VOs, and got invited to speak at three events.

Like, out of nowhere.

Good thing my mornings will still be free (I start this radio shift at 3 PM) - and there will be comp days and vacation days (See? A real job!)

But the freedom to not “need” these bookings feels so, well, freeing.

What happened? I opened my arms to let go of what was no longer working for me.

Letting go isn’t about loss; it’s about creating space.

Imagine a cluttered room filled with outdated furniture, boxes of forgotten memories, and anything that represents what you “might” do someday. 

There’s no room for sunlight to pour in, no space for something fresh to enter. Our emotional and mental spaces work the same way. When we release what no longer serves us—whether it’s a grudge, an outdated goal, or a relationship we’ve outgrown—we create room for growth, clarity, and unexpected joy.

It’s not always easy. The act of letting go can feel like free-falling into uncertainty. But what if letting go isn’t an ending but an invitation? An open door. A blank page.

“ I opened my arms to let go of what was no longer working for me.

Letting go isn’t about loss; it’s about creating space”

The truth is, life loves empty spaces. It fills them with experiences, opportunities, and connections we couldn’t have imagined while clinging to what was.

Think about a time you finally said goodbye to something—or someone—and how, in the quiet aftermath, something new gently found its way in.

This isn’t to say letting go doesn’t come with grief or discomfort. It does. I might not get the days off to attend Podfest. I won’t have the open space on my calendar to take a spontaneous overnight trip. But the truth is that I seldom if ever did that anyway.

The beauty of letting go  lies in the space it creates—a space that becomes fertile ground for the next chapter.

So, if you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or heavy with the weight of what you're carrying, ask yourself: What am I holding onto that no longer holds me? And more importantly: What might happen if I let it go?

Open your arms, your mind, and your heart. What was once an act of release might just become your greatest act of receiving.