great winds where change begins. Don’t think long term and outcome, just keep taking one solid step after the other, and when you look back you will see how far you’ve traveled.”

Making a Difference Every Day

Crisis and chaos can be key moments of transition. The restless stirrings of unfulfilled dreams that often hit us at mid-life, as yucky and sad as they may seem, can often serve the unique purpose of reawakening early dreams and passions. If we are paying attention, these times of transition, upheaval, and sometimes great loss, however painful and difficult, can have a profound way of forcing us to move and grow.

As Marianne shows us in this chapter, we need to let go and take risks to find our true strengths. The more intense the yearning in our lives, the more brave we need to be.

Marianne also reminds us of the gift that comes when we dare to risk.

“Vision,” according to English writer Jonathan Swift, “is the art of seeing things invisible.” This gift belongs to those who can see the good hidden away in the kernels of setbacks, suffering, and pain. It resides in those who never give up hope.

Here are five tips to help us find the courage to embrace the future: