Leap! 15 Quotes to Inspire Action

“ One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”  - Andre Gide

When it's time for fledgling birds to learn to fly, it's a common myth that they're gently shoved out of the security of the nest and just soar into the sky. In reality, it takes a lot of coaxing, including withholding food and other creative methods, to persuade birds to take that first leap. But once they do, their world is forever changed.

As humans, we could only be so lucky as to be pushed and prodded into our dreams until we reach them.

The security of the “nest”, which often comes in the form of familiar routines, lifelong habits, and the comfort of a steady paycheck, is extremely seductive.

But can you imagine the life of a bird that never learns to fly? It would be a short hard life, no doubt.

It's not so different for people. So, if you're pondering a leap, I wanted to share some of the messages that have inspired me along the way in the hope that they may also inspire you:

1. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." -  Mark Twain
2. “Someone was hurt before you, wronged before you, hungry before you, frightened before you, beaten before you, humiliated before you, raped before you… yet, someone survived… You can do anything you choose to do.” –Maya Angelou 
3. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”  ― Winston S. Churchill
4. “To create more positive results in your life, replace ‘if only’ with ‘next time.'” - Unknown
5. “As soon as anyone starts telling you to be “realistic,” cross that person off your invitation list.” –John Eliot 
6. "Do one thing every day that scares you." - Eleanor Roosevelt
7. “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” -Tony Robbins
8. Make sure your worst enemy doesn't live between your ears. -  Laird Hamilton
9. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”  ― Ana?s Nin
10. “Remembering you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” -Steve Jobs 
11. "Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears." - Les Brown

12. "The greatest danger is that we aim too low and make it, not that we aim too high and fail." - Michaelangelo

13. "In any given moment we have two options: 1) to step forward into growth or 2) to step back into safety." - Abraham Maslow

14. "We are kept from our goal not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal." - Robert Brault
15. And lastly, in the words of Frederick Wilcox, “You can’t steal second base and keep one foot on first.”

It's time to leap, lose sight of the shore, and step forward into growth. Second base, here we come!

Happy hunting!