Take That Leap…….
Over the past several months I’ve had individuals who are in my inner circle share with me their identified purpose or a passion or dream that feels important to them and that they want to pursue. First I just want to say how valuable it can be to feel connected to a purpose, passion, calling. Whatever you “name” it, the end result is a life infused with meaning which can be tied to overall quality of life. At the end of the day who doesn’t want to live their best life and dig deep to realize ALL of their potential?
The challenge that every friend of mine experienced was one of feeling stuck. They all knew exactly what it was that they wanted to accomplish. However, for those with a purpose/passion off the beaten path, there is no guide book, no paved road that can be easily followed. Feeling stuck can also come from feeling overwhelmed and busy with day to day demands on our time and energy. This can make it feel like there is no time or space to pursue that dream. Some dreams can feel so big that we talk ourselves out of them before we even get started. All of these challenges, little time or energy, no direction, and feeling like your dream is too big can leave us feeling paralyzed.
I want to share with you some encouraging words and strategies that have been shared with me and that proved to be incredibly useful when I’ve experienced feeling stuck for one or more of these reasons. First I’ll share a quote that has continued to inspire me at the various stages of pursuing a dream. Abel Morales said “ when it feels scary to jump, thats’s exactly when you jump. Otherwise you end up staying in the same place your whole life. And that I cannot do”. That first step off of the “cliff” is the scariest one for me and it can feel like you are indeed falling off of a cliff after you take it. Second, starting small has been incredibly helpful. I’m a working mom of 2 and I have a TON of other demands on my time but I’ve always been able to carve out at least 5-10 minutes a day to intentionally build my dream. That may mean waking up before the household when it’s quiet, or staying up late until everyone is asleep. It’s meant leaving laundry unfinished and dishes in the sink. I’ve learned to give myself grace with those unfinished tasks and ask for help when I need it too. Third, after taking that first step off of the cliff I’ve had that feeling of immobility because I didn’t know what direction to move in. Taking my eyes off of the end goal and choosing to focus only on the very next step, rather than the next 100 steps, helped me to create momentum. It’s kind of like climbing a 14er. If you constantly look at the summit you’re likely to injure yourself because you don’t see what’s in front of you and you’re only able to see the enormity of the task ahead. You don’t get to celebrate the little wins along the way.
I hope that after reading this you feel inspired to invest in YOU, to pour into your passions and dreams. Whether it’s creating more quality moments with your family, creating intentional and authentic friendships, starting a business or podcast, building a dream home, planting a garden, learning something new, creating art or music, you are worthy of your dream and you are more capable than you know.
