Taking a leap of faith...

A friend reached out to me and posed a question I think a lot of us can relate to. "I really want to take this leap and become a writer. I am scared of what my friends and colleagues might think. If I do this and write about my passions, then they may think differently of me. What should I do?"

I am not saying everyone wants to become a writer. I am saying that many of us have a desire and a passion to do what we love. We have the aspects in our regular "8-5" we enjoy and feel passionate about, but there is that other aspect that really wants to shine. In fact, in some of us, it burns! And if only we could let that light burn brighter! The thought of being judged, rejected or even failure dampens our desire; and it gets tabled for another day.

So, what was my response to her? "Take the leap! That pit and worry of judgement and rejection by a small few will outweigh the impact you may have on the many! If you feel called and passionate about this, then go for it! What really do you have to lose? Trust me, if you are worried about a few behind the scenes eye rolls, then I can assure you, they will be there. Assume some of that and assume some to have their hearts warmed and a smile broadened because you took the leap."

Rejection is a tough pill sometimes. Not saying you should get used to it. I am proposing viewing it from a different lens. A lens that dares you to follow that dream! Often, few take a leap and challenge themselves.

Now, my friend I am mentioning happened to be going through a pretty intense year. Many of her friends and associates had spent time being malicious and cruel to her because of something very trivial. She observed one by one the friends she grew up with take turns stepping out of her life. She had been devasted and confused. Everyone that had always supported her had walked out of her life. Alone, she was left with one thing. Herself. She dove deep into her soul and began to do some major inner work. This is where she began to fuel that fire and passion of writing. She discovered through her pain and isolation; she was slowly giving birth to a new persona.

Her and I met a few years back where we both were colleagues. While we stayed in touch, a few thousand miles separated us from being close. But like those cherished relationships, we could always pick up the phone and reconnect with belly laughs and great conversation until the next time we spoke. At one point during her time of loss and seclusion, she reached out to me for advice. I too had gone through my own journey and became quite comfortable sharing my story. I will tell you what I told her:

My friend, this life change you are "growing" through is a beautiful transformation! It is through pain where we desire and create the reality we truly seek! Nobody ever improves in any aspects of their lives without discovering what it is they don't want! As you go through these painful situations, focus, really focus on the things you want! Remove that toxic desire to ruminate over and over they "why and how come"! When you focus on the wrongs and the pains, you will only create more of that. In fact, it will steam roll or avalanche right into your reality! (If you don't believe me, think back to a time where you had "one of those days". Didn't it seem the more you focused on how bad your day started, it just kept getting worse!). Slowly and gently, work with you. You cannot change others. However, the other people and situations will align and come into your focus with you and for you as time progresses. Just focus on you and what you want, not what you don't want. Just try it. You spend enough time beating yourself up, why not try the opposite for a change?

If you are wondering, yes, she did take the leap. In her first writing, she was amazed at how many people responded to her words. That obviously added some wood to her fire! I can only imagine the big things coming her way! It is truly exciting to witness her joy!

As I am writing to you, I have my favorite mug and my favorite coffee. It is my favorite mug because at the time I received it I didn't realize how a small phrase would remind me of how important our mindset is.

I had been an instructor teaching dental assisting and I think it was probably 2005. We had an annual meeting with the entire organization, and like many trade schools, we were facing an acquisition which many of us were not fond of. We were a small ma and pa school and quite frankly we all wanted it to stay that way. We couldn't see how a big organization could keep the same caring approach we all had come to value and appreciate. At the conclusion of the annual meeting, they handed out coffee mugs. I scoffed at it and went on with my day. In fact, I went on with my life. Fast forward all these years and many more acquisitions and campus closures, I somehow always kept the mug I scoffed at. As I faced new challenges in life and especially my own career, I somehow managed to always see this mug on my desk or in my cupboard. It is now a reminder. It has traveled many miles and sat on many desks. In fact, it has a chip from falling and the letters are slowly fading. What once was something that symbolized a change, I didn't want to happen, now reminds me of my own passion. What does the mug say?

Supporting Dreams / Inspiring Success