1,2,3 Jump!
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to ones courage.
–Anais Nin
Are you ever afraid? Do you ever feel fearful?
Do you look at people accomplishing great things and marvel at their mountains of fortitude and wills of unbendable steel?
Just to make myself clear, I fall into “marvelling at others” category. I am overwhelmed by fear and doubt at times – and maybe you can relate the that too. Most of us face phantoms of fear in our lives – and they can take us hostage in any area or at any level.
Courage vs Fear
I meet with several ladies on a weekly basis – we consider ourselves an accountability group. When we first began to meet, discussing our common purposes, what we agreed to be accountable for, direction we were heading – it began to feel quite terrifying. Something shifted when we began intentionally pushing ahead, without the safety of our old stories, the comfort of our old ways of escaping and coping. It did not feel comfortable. At all!
At one point I had a clear picture of the three of us, linking arms, standing on a cliff edge. We were not facing the edge, our backs were to it – because we were afraid. Together, we counted, one, two, three and we leaned backward – engaging in free fall off the cliff, into the unknown. And we splashed into deep, cold, INVIGORATING water at the bottom. I remember the picture with such clarity I can almost feel the bite of the brisk cold water! Together, we gasped for air – giddy with adrenalin and exhilaration – we had survived! Laughter and joy awaited us at the bottom.
Our journey together in real life has been like that at times. We have faced challenges – but we courageously faced our fears. Isn’t that the truth about life? We often find ourselves on the cliffs edge. Sometimes the future requires a leap of faith. And sometimes our fear is too great – we retreat to a safe distance from the edge. Often, that makes sense. Be cautious, be safe – why expose yourself to risk?
Life begins outside your comfort zone.
What is your usual, comfortable choice? Will you stay on the plateau of safety or take a leap into the unknown? I wonder about all those people who appear to not have fear when they jump off the cliff – are they impervious to fear? Are they daredevils with no sense of reason or caution? Or are they just like me? Do they have fear? Do they simply choose to take a deep breath and step into courage? And into greater possibilities? Are they willing to face fear so that they can expand their horizons, their experience, their lives?
I could make a long list of things I am fearful of. Fear doesn’t make sense. Courageous business people are afraid of intimate personal relationships. Amazing gifted people are afraid not being good enough. We can be afraid of success, of failure, of intimacy, or of public speaking.
What are you afraid of?
What mountains are you afraid to climb? What rivers do you fear crossing? What would happen if you allowed yourself to fall off that cliff? Don’t be afraid – good things are waiting for you!
I don’t have any thorough, complex answers to these questions. But I do know that when you take a deep breath, and inhale enough courage to move past your fear – your life WILL expand. So challenge your fears today! Be courageous – take a leap! It will be amazing! And people will marvel at you!
Take the Step 