Why Mel Robbins’ Let Them Hit Me Right Where I Needed It

Dear Mel,

When I first came across your book about the Let Them theory, I wondered: how can someone write a whole book on a topic that could easily fit into two or three podcast episodes without sounding repetitive? But you know what? I liked your style. I liked your voice. So I got your book — actually, the Audible version.

The Let Them theory wasn’t completely new to me. As a neurodivergent person, I relate strongly to rejection sensitive dysphoria. I did even as a kid. There were so many things I didn’t do — not because I didn’t want to, but because I kept asking myself, “What will other people think of me?” My mom used to tell me, “Stop worrying about what other people think.” But honestly, who really listens to their mom at twelve?

So, about a quarter of a century later, there’s this self-declared “friend Mel” telling me basically the same thing all over again. But here’s the difference: I’m not twelve anymore. I know what RSD is now — and what it’s done to me all my life. And Mel, whose voice reaches hundreds of thousands of people around the world, is telling me:

“Let them. Let them judge you. Let them misunderstand you. Let them gossip about you.”

The road to accepting that idea is a long one (about thirty years, in my case). But I actually needed to hear it again. And again. And again.

What I really loved about your book was your voice — literally. In the Audible audiobook, I could hear your familiar diction from your podcasts and videos. I could hear your laughter. And your tears. And I cried too (no offense, I cry a lot). I appreciated the real-life examples you shared — the prom story, moving to another state, the family struggles, finding yourself again. I can’t tell whether they’re all true, but they’re stories. And if I learned one more thing from your book, it’s that stories matter. If you want people to really listen, you have to tell stories.

And that’s why I enjoyed listening to your audiobook so much. It felt personal. Thanks to those stories, it never felt repetitive. It told me exactly what I needed to hear at that time. It’s not like I found a new Bible for my life, and I’m definitely not getting a quote from it tattooed on my arm — but I will come back to it.

And by that, I mean I’m planning to buy the actual paper book too. I’m just waiting for the translation. The Let Them theory was published a few weeks ago in Slovak as “Nechajte to tak” and will be coming out in Czech this November as “Neřeš to” (literally “Don’t deal with it”). I’m looking forward to hearing your voice in my head again — this time in my own language.

This wasn’t our first meeting, and hopefully it won’t be the last. I think I started this blog partly under your influence. I wanted to do it — so I did it. Now I’m learning to show my work to other people and stop fearing their opinions in advance. Because what if they don’t like it? So what? I need to let them.

That’s it. I just wanted to say thank you.

I wish you all the best.

— Jane

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About the Book

In Let Them, Mel Robbins invites you to stop chasing approval and start living for yourself. Her “Let Them Theory” isn’t about giving up — it’s about letting go. When you stop trying to manage how others act or think, you make space for peace, purpose, and genuine connection.

You’ll learn how to:

• Stop wasting energy on things beyond your control

• Let go of comparison and constant self-doubt

• Free yourself from other people’s expectations

• Build stronger, more authentic friendships

• Create the kind of love and life you actually deserve

• Stay resilient when life gets noisy and stressful

• Define your own version of success and joy