Find Your Mars—Without Quitting Your Job

Most of us have been taught to play it safe. Stay in the lane. Follow the rules. Don’t rock the boat.

But what if the biggest risk isn’t failing? What if the biggest risk is staying exactly where you are, never pushing beyond what’s comfortable?

We tell ourselves we’ll take the big leap when we’re ready. When the timing is perfect. When all the lights turn green at the same time.

But that moment never comes.

And waiting? That’s just a slow, careful way of letting life slip through your fingers.

The Courage to Step Forward—Right Where You Are

This isn’t about quitting your job. It’s not about blowing up your life for the sake of proving you can take a risk.

It’s about choosing to do something bold right where you are.

• Speaking up in a meeting where you usually stay quiet.
• Pitching the idea that’s been rattling in your brain for months.
• Stepping up for a leadership opportunity you don’t feel 100% ready for.
• Asking for what you deserve—whether it’s a raise, a promotion, or a new challenge.
• Taking on a project that stretches you beyond your comfort zone.

Playing it safe is an illusion. There’s no real security in staying small. But there’s a guarantee that if you never step up, someone else will.

The Only Way to Be Ready

I talk about courage for a living. I coach companies on how to build cultures of boldness. I tell leaders that small, everyday acts of courage change everything.

And yet, like anyone else, I have my own battles with it.

I’ve photographed the US Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights—watched them jump from 10,000 feet like it was just another day at the office. Now? I’ve boxed myself into a position where I have to jump, too.

Not because I want to. Not because I have a thrill-seeker’s bucket list. But because courage is built in action. The only way to be ready is to do the thing anyway.

So here’s my challenge to you:

Find your Mars.

Not by quitting. Not by running away. But by stepping up. By making the bold move you know you need to make, the one that might just change everything.

And if you’re waiting for the right time?

It’s now.

Are you ready to lead fearlessly?

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Live Large. Be Bold. Have Faith. Fear Nothing.

Louis Katz, keynote speaker and founder of The Courage Inside, works with organizations to build courageous companies and inspire transformative results. With a special focus on military and first responder communities, he understands the unique challenges of stepping into the arena when trust, resilience, and courage matter most.