Pivoting and taking a leap of faith is terrifying and so rewarding at the same time. I read this story that resonated with me so I’m going to share it with you.
Storytime
There’s an old war story of a man who was captured by the enemy and was taken before the captain of the enemy. Upon his arrival, the captain said to him, “Tomorrow I’m going to give you two choices: you can either face the firing squad, or you can walk through this black door.” The man asked, “What’s behind the black door?” The captain said to him, “No one knows. Perhaps unspeakable horrors. Now tell me which you will choose: the firing squad or the black door.” The prisoner thought for a moment, and finally told the captain that he will face the firing squad.
Before I share the rest of the story think to yourself, which one would you choose?
The next day the firing squad executed the man. The assistants of the captain reported back and asked, “What is behind the black door?” After a long pause the captain responded, “Freedom…but I’ve known few people brave enough to take it.”
Most people pick the safer route because their fear of the unknown is so terrifying. Taking a leap of faith takes the courage to choose the black door aka your deepest desires and dreams. Everyone’s goals are different and I may not know yours, but I know you have some. Some that you’ve accomplished (congrats!) and some that you haven’t.
You want to do something positive for your life, but you’re scared.
You’re afraid it won’t turn out the way you want.
You don’t want to make a mistake.
You don’t want to risk anything.
You’re waiting for a sign to ensure you’re making the right decision.
I know you’re thinking all of those things because I’ve spent years not days, years, thinking those thoughts before I decided to make changes in my life that pushed me way out by comfort zone. One pivotal moment was when my friend said to me: “I think you second guess yourself a bit too often. I love how you push yourself to step out of your boundaries to try new projects to elevate you and whatever you’re trying to achieve but I sense you don’t feel confident about some of the moves you’re making sometimes.”
After hearing that I realized I was making strides but I was still playing too small. She was absolutely right; I was so insecure about everything I was doing. So, I told myself I had to boss up.
To take a leap of faith, I suggest starting with this small yet monumental activity:
1. Ask 10 people you’re close to: What do you think are my greatest strengths? What are somethings you see in me that maybe I don’t see in myself?
2. Look for patterns in what they said and determine how you can use those skills to take action towards whatever you dream of doing.
3. Seek resources to help you reach your goal. Reach out to mentors, coaches, family, strangers, whoever can possibly answer your burning questions (people are nicer than you think, I’m willing to help strangers all the time) I hired a business coach and she helped me start a business and make money in just a couple months.
4. Now pull out your schedule and plan at least 30 minutes into your day for the next 30 days that you will dedicate to working on your chosen dream. I’m serious, put this into your calendar & set an alarm to remind you to do it. If you work towards this goal for an entire month, I promise something good will come from it.
There you go!! Here’s how you begin to take the scary leap you’ve been longing to do. Start super small then build from there. Now if not having enough time is your problem, then book a time management strategy call with me and let’s get that sorted ASAP.