Have you taken any leaps lately? A leap can be big or small, long or short. Leaping to another job, a different relationship, maybe just going to a new restaurant. Hence the name "leap of faith", these things are risks we take in order for a better outcome than the present. But what do we do when our present is enough? When we're satisfied, we tend to pull-back our risk-taking. To play the long game. To live securely. Which is a fine strategy for most of the time. Arguably better than living through nothing but leaps. But comfort discourages motion. A happy life is an admirable goal, and once its achieved it's hard to convince yourself to take a leap away from it, even momentarily.
Leaping is scary. You risk falling, failing, or landing short. Things that might make others think less of you, could damage your career, or even your relationships. But they can also propel you to the next stage of life. There are countless stories of people who gave up high-paying, secure jobs to go after their real passion. What really brought them alive. Of course, we generally hear about the ones that succeeded, but for every person you've read about who made it big, there are ten more who are living comfortably in the shadows after taking the same chance.
I'm lucky to consider myself one of those; I left a good-paying, secure, fun job to pursue my side-hustle this past summer, and eight months later I've found myself the happiest I've ever been, doing exactly what I want to do every single day. It's a blessing, and one that certainly didn't come overnight. I was absolutely terrified of giving up a life of contentment for the chance to do something that would potentially make me happier, but certainly wasn't guaranteed. There isn't a number large enough to say how many times I talked myself out of telling my boss that I was leaving. I vividly remember the day I eventually mustered up the courage to talk to him. Walking into his office I was scared stiff, but walking out of his office I felt freer than ever. Like I had finally taken flight. The leap had been taken. And looking back, it was the best decision I ever made.
Security is comforting. Humans want comfort. We crave it. But when your survival instincts kick in, just remember, you're losing the chance to leap. And hopefully to soar.
"A Single Seed" is my attempt to get out one idea every day that I've learned or accumulated over the years, with the hope that it may stick in someone else's memory bank as well. The idea may be related to fitness, business, life, or philosophy, but I think you'll find that many can change domains if you wish them to. With each seed planted, a new life awaits.
Image credit: https://www.needpix.com/photo/442938/girl-leaping-rock-girl-leaping-off-rock-silhouette-jump-young-female-leap