You’re right that when people say stuff like “wow, that’s hard” it’s a subtle form of control. People may mean well but they have their own demons to face down. Or not. And they get scared for you and for themselves when they hear you talk about doing new and fabulous things. My favorite recent movie is Alice in Wonderland because it celebrates uniqueness and love. Two of my favorite things! Be different. Challenge the status quo. Try to believe at least six impossible things before breakfast. Let your freak flag fly.

Yes, change can be hard. But one thing I’ve found that makes it easier is to simply put one foot in front of the other each day. Baby steps. One day at a time. (I could probably go on for a page with the cliches but you get the point). Just do one thing – right now – that will get you closer to the life you want to live. That one thing doesn’t have to be scary or hard. It just has to be a step in the right direction. That’s how you break inertia. That’s how you start living again.