Rapunzel. I’m not talking about the long hair or the witch obviously. It’s the things or sometimes the people (often yourself) who keep you from experiencing the fullness of life.

For some time now my answer to any suggestion of doing something or going somewhere is invariably no. I envisage doing these things and all I can see is failure. Life is much easier if you don’t truly live it. A dipped in toe is much easier to recover from than full immersion. It’s a much quicker escape when you’re already on the sidelines. But when you don’t fully experience the best, you’re always left wanting.

I’m very good at writing about taking hold of things that are close by. Not so great at reaching further. Brick by brick it is easy to build ourselves in. But as I listen to the builders outside, I’m thinking about breaking walls down. It could start with a small adjustment so that we can defy the ones who tell us to stay in, or surprising everyone, including ourselves by saying yes. It might feel risky, we might regret it, but at least we tried. You’ll never know if you don’t try.

It is lovely to be told to ‘do what makes you comfortable’ or to ‘take it easy’ but maybe sometimes we need to push ourselves out of that comfort zone and see what happens.

What is keeping you in today? I’m asking you to let down your hair and make it easier for someone to rescue you. The space that you are keeping yourself in may feel safe, but are you content? Do you wonder what it would feel like to experience a bigger world than the one you know so well?

As I write this I’m sitting hidden away and know I need to step out soon. It is hard, sometimes terrifying, to reach beyond our safe place, but we’ll never know what is there for us if we don’t try.