Not until you begin to cross the gauntlet in your mind of your fears, doubts, base desires, and shadow behaviors and accept yourself without judgment, can you go into and experience that which had previously been off limits and which leads you to feeling truly fulfilled. Taking that first small step or giant leap of faith will always be out of reach, if you avoid examining your fears and moving through them.
The reason for my journey, I believe, is to inspire people as I step through my fears and into the life I was meant to live. So, I’ve begun to chronicle my move to France on Facebook. In doing so I’ve attracted quite a few “followers”. Some have made encouraging comments like “I admire your courage.” or “I’m so inspired by you.” This last comment makes me stop and ponder the question, “Inspired to do what? What actions have you taken because I made this bold move?”
I don’t doubt that they are interested in my journey, but mere interest isn’t inspiration. I have a need, like everyone else, to see the impact I am making on this world. And I wonder where my personal journey will lead them. What direct experience it has brought them to and how that has begun to liberate them.
Quitting my job, selling all my things, and moving to France was pretty daring, I must admit. All the planning and visioning in my mind’s eye helped make it a reality. But nothing except actually following through on my plan – sensing the rightness when I handed in my letter of resignation, feeling the sheer uncertainty as I stood in line to board the plane at Dulles International Airport, tears streaming down my face as I mourned my past life, feeling the thrill as I landed an ocean away from that past life, and experiencing the joy as I traveled by train to my new home – could provide the peace and freedom I now feel every day.
Direct experience did that. However, this big leap of faith to achieve this sense of freedom is the result of much smaller leaps, much smaller action steps and successes. The smaller steps I took -getting my finances in order, starting a coaching practice, publishing a book, speaking in front of an audience of strangers, deciding to change my life completely – were scary too, because they laid outside what was known to me, they were outside the bounds of what felt safe.
The process of gradually expanding what you believe you can do and what you actually experience is freeing and increases your confidence along the way. It comes from being sick and tired of being sick and tired. It comes from a pain that is more intense than the fear and discomfort of uncertainty and an unknown future. Unless you make a habit of crossing this line, you will continue to be held back, tethered to what seems safe, but not being truly free in mind or spirit.
It can be exciting and oftentimes inspiring to watch others fully experience life. The activities these daring souls are doing might be interesting, but they might not be the things you would choose to undertake. It’s important to recognize this. It is even more vital to uncover the things that are right for you to pursue and that will lead you to your own direct experience and freedom. In my book Growing Bold I’ve outlined the steps I’ve taken and that you, too, can take to find what’s right for you.
I know that each of us is at a different place in this journey called life. Not everyone is ready to take a huge leap, make a drastic life change. Not everyone is ready to even take a small leap. Wherever you find yourself , it is important to, at the very least, take a step, make a movement forward toward doing that which you dream of achieving. Each step, no matter how small, will lead you closer to a small leap. Each small leap will lead you closer to that big leap beyond which lies your complete and total freedom to be.
Photo Credit: Robb Leahy, Bruno Nascimento, Caleb Frith,