Image: Flickr/Randy Heinitz

“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” (Raymond Lindquist)

When it comes to making real and lasting change, we usually know what we need to do long before we actually do it. That’s because there’s something very scary about letting go of what we know — even if we really don’t like what it is that we know.

If you really want to make a change in your life, you’re going to have to let go of those old patterns that have gotten you stuck. It will be scary at first, and you might feel like you’re careening through the air, but — before you know it — you’ll see that the rope you were hanging onto was frayed and brittle. Then you’ll experience a lightness you didn’t even know existed.

So fear not. Be brave. And let go of what’s holding you back.