Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.
—Ann Landers
One day, my Today colleague Sheinelle Jones walked into the makeup room looking burdened. She slunk into a chair, upset that she was only spending time with her three young kids on Sundays because she worked the other six days. “Why do you work Saturdays?” Maria Shriver asked. “Well, it’s my show.” Maria nodded. “But do you want to do it?” Sheinelle said, “If I don’t, someone else will.” Maria then shared her story of an NBC boss’s response when she expressed burnout from working double shifts. He said, “I’ll have that position filled before you hit L for lobby in the elevator.” Within several months, Sheinelle announced her departure from the weekend show. When I next saw her I said, “Hey, Sheinelle—you work five days a week.” She smiled and started doing a little dance in the studio! I guess sometimes we have to let go of our thing if it’s standing in the way of something even more valuable—in Sheinelle’s case, Uche, Clara, and Kayin.