Some thoughts on Mel Robbins’ “Let Them” theory and how we can apply it to climate communication.
I’ve recently finished reading Mel Robbins’ new book, “The Let Them Theory”. When it comes to climate communication and co-creating hopeful, sustainable futures, it feels as if it has a good alignment to the radical acceptance approach that I learned from Tara Brach and have been applying (more and less successfully) in the last 12 months.
For Mel’s full thinking, I defer to her book, but here is my learning.
01. As a climate & sustainability communicator, I can’t control the thoughts, feeling or actions of others. So “Let them”.
02. However, I can control what I do, feel and say to encourage shifts in thinking and behaviour, and to spark the change that I want to see in the world. This is the “Let me” piece.
To put this into a story structure in the vein of the lovely Randy Olson, using his ABT structure, the final piece of this is then:
03. Therefore, I am creating spaces where people can come together, create communities, talk about life, and in particular, life on earth and what we can do to sustain it.
The “Let them” theory and the concept of Radical acceptance both resonate with me: I feel as if letting go and saying, “Let them” is a form of radical acceptance, an acceptance that we are where we are, and I get to choose how I frame my role in creating change.
So what does this mean?
I get to choose the story. I get to reclaim the narrative. I get to tell the story of hopeful, sustainable, resilient futures – and the joys and sorrows involved in getting there. And that’s powerful.
This approach is also about accepting that even if I communicate and create spaces and bring people together, it may have no impact on climate change – perhaps a few people might hear some new ideas and do nothing, or perhaps a few people will make a new friend or two. I still think that encouraging conversations and community is worthwhile in its own right, and if it affects climate thinking, then that’s the cherry on top.
If you’re involved in climate and sustainability work, I wonder if this might be an approach for you to consider, too.
Here’s to co-creating hopeful, sustainable futures,
Useful resources:
- The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216351768-the-let-them-theory - Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213181082-radical-acceptance - Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story by Randy Olson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25245928-houston-we-have-a-narrative