Why Breakthrough Begins With Letting Go | Think Better. Live Braver. series part 3 | Ep 379

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Why Breakthrough Begins With Letting Go | Think Better. Live Braver. series part 3 | Ep 379

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When It’s Time to Let Go of What Used to Fit

I had a broken tooth I ignored for six years.

Yep, six. Not my finest moment as a responsible adult.

I knew it needed to get fixed.

I also knew the dentist meant needles, drills, and a bill that might make my wallet cry…or me cry. 

So I did what any fear-prone human might do… I avoided it and hoped it would magically get better.

Spoiler: it did not.

When I finally went in…after Father’s nudging, the plan was simple: root canal, then crown, done. 

Instead, the root canal specialist found a hidden fracture and said, “I’m so sorry. This tooth has to go.”

So my crown fitting privoted to an extraction. Yuck.

That day before and morning of I spent time praying and releasing my anxiety over to Father, because He cares for us…even a dreaded appointment. 

As I prayed, Father brought something totally unexpected to mind: Marie Kondo.

You know her? The “does it spark joy?” decluttering queen. 

Her process is simple: you hold each item, ask if it sparks joy, and if it doesn’t, you thank it for its service and release it.

So that’s exactly what I did with my tooth.

I prayed, “Thank you for serving me since I was kid. Thank you for chewing all the things and hanging in there, even when you were cracked and hurting. I release you now to come out easily and in one piece.”

Then as I lay in the dentist chair, still anxious, but in faith, with that clamp around my tooth, I repeated the same prayer (in my head of course, not easy praying with the dentist’s hands in your mouth).

I just kept repeating in my mind, release, release, release.

A few moments later, the dentist said, “It’s out…You’re done.”

I didn’t hear cracking. I didn’t feel pain or even pressure. It just… slipped out.

Sitting in that chair, I realized this wasn’t just about a tooth…

This was a picture of what it looks like when Father invites us to let go of things that once served us but can’t go with us into the next season.

In business and life, we cling to old offers, clients, roles, and identities because they are familiar, even when they’re no longer fruitful. 

That’s what’s called Attachment Thinking.

The good news is, Father is inviting us into something better: The Courage to Walk Away Thinking.

Here are three steps to move from attachment thinking to courageous release:

1. Recognize What You’re Clinging To

Before we can release anything, we have to see it.

Attachment thinking is when we stay tied to something that no longer fits our season because we’re emotionally, mentally, or financially invested. It’s also called the Sunk Cost Fallacy (I’ll explain it in a minute).

It might be:

  • An offer you keep tweaking instead of retiring

  • A client who now drains you, but you keep saying yes because “they pay well”

  • A project that used to work, but now only takes up space and energy

  • A relationship you keep trying to rescue

  • An old identity you wear like a comfy sweater, even though it’s not who you really are anymore

Sometimes it isn’t obviously “bad.” It might just be comfortable. 

Our brains love familiar. Even if something is painful, our amygdala (the brain’s fear and protection center) interprets change as danger because it is unknown. 

Psychologists call this the sunk cost fallacy: we keep investing more and more simply because we already invested so much…hello, my painful shoes, I don’t want to get rid of because I paid too much for you.

Father sees it differently.

📖 “Do not call to mind the former things, or consider things of the past. Behold, I am doing something new… Will you not be aware of it?” (Isaiah 43:18–19, NASB)

He is not asking us to dishonor the past. He is asking us to stop clinging to it.

So the first courageous move is awareness, with Father.

📖 “All things become visible when they are exposed by the light… Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:13–14, NASB)

This isn’t exposure to shame you. It’s to awaken you.

You cannot release what you refuse to see.

Ask Holy Spirit, “What am I still holding onto because it’s familiar, not because it’s fruitful?” 

Then pay attention to the gentle prods: that offer, that habit, that role, that story about who you are.

Awareness is the first crack in attachment thinking code.

2. Speak Release…Out Loud

Once you see it, the next step is to say something different.

Our words are not throwaway background noise. 

Our words create atmosphere outside of us and pathways inside of us.

📖 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21, NASB)

Your brain is listening to your mouth. When you speak release, you’re literally helping your mind rewire around a new reality.

Think about how often we say:

  • “I can’t let this go, I’ve put too much into it.”

  • “If I just try harder, maybe it’ll work again.”

  • “This is just who I am.”

Those phrases strengthen attachment thinking…you’ve bought the sunk cost fallacy lie.

Instead, we can use our words to bless and release.

Start with gratitude, Marie Kondo style: “Thank you for what you gave me in that season.”

Then add, “Father, thank You for what this taught me. I bless it, and I release it. I choose to trust You with what’s next.”

Gratitude breaks the grip of attachment and makes room for trust.

This is what the courage to walk away sounds like. It’s not pretending you don’t care. It’s choosing to agree with Father’s invitation instead of fear’s warning sirens.

3. Make Space for the New

Recognition and words are powerful, but movement seals the shift.

Faith always shows up in motion. So, we must take action now.

📖 “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB)

You may not see what Father is bringing next, yet He has already prepared the path.

It reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Indy is standing at the edge of that massive chasm. The clue tells him to take a leap of faith. From his perspective, there’s nothing there but a leap to his death.

But because Indy’s dad’s life is at stake, he raises his foot, steps into what looks like empty air… and shabam… a hidden bridge catches him.

Now, the bridge was there the whole time. He just couldn’t see it from his perspective. It wasn’t until he moved in faith that he saw the bridge.

Faith works the same way. You’re not hurling yourself into nothing, hoping Father might show up. 

You’re stepping into a path He has already prepared; it simply becomes visible as you start taking action.

So, making space for the new looks very practical:

  • Retiring an offer so you can build the one that aligns with who you are now

  • Releasing a niche or message that fit a past season so you can serve the people Father is calling you to serve in this new season

  • Clearing clutter from your workspace so your creativity can breathe

  • Archiving old files, deleting outdated projects, unsubscribing from voices that pull you off course

  • Letting go of an old story like, “I’m too much,” or “I’m not enough,” and allowing yourself to be fully who Father’s designed you to be

📖 “You have encircled me behind and before, and You have placed Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5, NASB)

Father is behind you and in front of you. So don’t worry, you’re not losing your safety net because you’re walking with the One who is your safety.

As courageous women, we don’t cling to what was; we make space for what Father is unfolding through us.

Courageous Action

This week, practice the courage to walk away with one specific thing.

  1. Ask Father to shine a light.
    Pray: “Father, show me what I’m holding onto that’s no longer serving me in this season.” Sit quietly and notice what comes up: an offer, client, role, habit, identity, story, or even clutter.

  2. Name it and speak release.
    Out loud, say something like:
    “I bless this [offer/client/project/story] for what it gave me. Thank You, Father, for what I learned. [Now name what you learned]. I release it now and choose to trust You with what’s next.”

    Keep it simple, but say it with intention.

  3. Make space in a tangible way.
    Take one measurable action that proves you’re serious: retire the offer on your site, archive the project, clear the pile, unsubscribe, or write a boundary email. 

    It does not have to be huge. It just needs to be real.

As you release what no longer fits, you think better and live braver. 

And don’t forget, you’re not losing when you make room for what was always meant to meet you in this next part of your story.

Show Notes

🎧 Show Notes

🗓 Summary

I know what it’s like to cling to a goal, client, or identity long after Father is whispering, “Daughter, it’s time to let this go.” In this episode, I walk you through how to shift from attachment thinking to the courage to walk away, so you can stop pouring energy into what’s draining you and start making space for what Father is preparing next. If you’re sensing a nudge to release something, this is your invitation to trust, let go, and step forward in faith.

✨ Who This Is For

Faith-driven women entrepreneurs who:

  • Feel out of alignment but scared to release what they’ve built

  • Keep tweaking offers, projects, or identities that no longer work

  • Sense Father nudging them into something new but feel stuck in fear

🔎 What You’ll Learn

  • Why attachment thinking keeps you stuck in “familiar but not fruitful”

  • How to recognize what you’re clinging to long past its expiration date

  • A simple way to speak release and loosen the emotional grip

  • How faith moves first and clarity follows as you make space for the new

  • Practical examples of letting go in business, life, and even your physical space

💬 Sound Bites

  • “You can’t release what you refuse to see.”

  • “Attachment thinking is fear dressed up as loyalty.”

  • “Gratitude breaks the grip of attachment and makes room for trust.”

  • “Faith doesn’t throw you into nothing; it walks you onto the bridge Father already built.”

🛠️ Courageous Action

This week, identify one thing to release and create space for what’s next:

  1. Ask Father to shine a light on what you’re holding onto that’s no longer serving you.

  2. Name it out loud and speak release with gratitude and trust.

  3. Take one tangible step to remove, close, archive, or clear the space it holds, showing you’re moving forward in faith.

⏱️ Chapters (Timestamps Approximate)

00:07 – Are you clinging to what no longer fits?
02:30 – The broken tooth and the Marie Kondo moment
07:50 – Attachment thinking vs. the courage to walk away
11:50 – Scripture + sunk cost, fear, and your brain
13:50 – Courageous Practice #1: Recognize what you’re clinging to
17:40 – Courageous Practice #2: Speak release
19:40 – Indiana Jones, hidden bridges, and faith in motion
22:30 – Courageous Practice #3: Make space for the new
31:30 – Recap + this week’s courageous action
33:30 – Overcome Fear by Friday Challenge + next episode teaser

🎉 Who Am I

Hey friend, I’m Heather—your Courageous Coach. I help Christian women entrepreneurs go from stuck, not-enough, and fearful to focused, confident, and courageous action so they can grow themselves and their businesses. I also help coaches, speakers, and authors turn ideas into systems and books that create impact and income.

💡 Let’s Stay Connected

📖 Hello Courageous Book: hellocourageous.com
🛒 *Get on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oSc855
🆓 Beat Procrastination Cheat Sheet • hellocourageous.com/beatit
🆓 Overcome Fear by Friday Challenge • hellocourageous.com/fearchallenge
🌐 Website: heatherbunch.com
📧 Email: hello@heatherbunch.com
📸 Instagram: @heatherlbunch

*Affiliate link: if you purchase using this link, I’ll make a small commission.