The Art of Letting Go

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, September 19, 2025)

I have been a part of the Shannon Leadership Institute cohort for the past seven months and this group of nine strangers has become another family to me. We met in person for a retreat in the Twin Cities in March and meet virtually every month for eight hours over two days. The time together in our virtual space, even though we are spread throughout the country and Minnesota, is deep and nourishing. 

Many times when we think about leadership we also consciously and subconsciously intertwine productivity. In our western world we put a lot of power, importance, and leverage on titles and accomplishments. We create stress, imbalance, burnout, and unhealthy ways of living and thinking. There are so many symptoms that happen in our body and many that we just ignore- tight muscles, the placement of our tongue, rapid heart rate, increased caffeine intake and decreased restful sleep, just to name a few.

The art of letting go is something I know I struggle with. This time of year is the perfect example in nature of what we as humans should be doing to prepare for winter and survival. When things become too hard to nurture or it is no longer time for us to hold, we have to let them fall. In the natural fall world, these can be leaves that turn beautiful colors, the needles of Tamarack trees, pine cones, apples, acorns and so many more. Trees instinctively know when it is time to let go. The weather changes. The cool temps make the sap move less each day and the amount of rainfall throughout the whole season is seen in the vibrancy or lack thereof in the colored leaves. 

Our bodies are much like these trees. They can only handle so much stress and overuse. They can only be productive and bear fruit for so long each season. They are vibrant when they are pruned, watered, nourished, cared for and warmed by the sun. I know for me, far too often I treat my body like an old car and I ignore the dashboard lights by just turning up the radio so as to not hear its cries of revolt and desire for restoration. 

I don’t know about you, but this fall I want to be more like the trees and less like an old car owner. As I continue to rehab my knee, I look forward to one last Firefly trip on a smooth paved trail in the woods. I look forward to sitting outside in my fall garden harvesting the toils of my friends’ and family’s labor. I look forward to sitting outside in a hoodie reading a good book and watching the birds fly south. I look forward to my trip up the Shore in October for some access work so I can see all of its beauty for another season.

If I wasn’t in rehab mode I know I would have a jam packed schedule of trail rides and day trips. I’d love to go again on the gondola at Lutsen during peak leaf time. My bucket list is to go to Bayfield and Ashland during the Apple Fest as well as a day trip to Madeline Island and the Apostle Islands. Another favorite trip is out to Grand Rapids this time of year. Someday. Not this season but maybe next season. This season I need to invest in my rest and in my slower, more intentional, pacing of life.

I learned many of these principles and concepts through my 2020 Bush Fellowship and knew that in 2025 I needed a reboot so I applied for the Shannon. What do you need to invest in yourself? Maybe you also need to invest in yourself and learn more about yourself and your leadership. The 2026 Bush Fellowship application is open now until October 7th. Check out their website or socials for more information and reach out to me for an all things Bush chat. 

Or maybe you need a push to go out and do a day trip in our backyard- go do it and enjoy it! If you need accessible options, connect or check out some of my work on North Shore Explorer MN. And if you go to the Apple Fest keep an eye out for accessibility features and let me know your thoughts. Happy Fall, y’all!