There was a time…
when I did some serious aerobic exercises. I would jump in the air, bring my knees as high as I could, slam back down to the earth, and repeat.
I felt so strong and powerful. A short Amazon, Lol.
But now my knees hurt. Sometimes I’ll be walking, minding my own business and my right knee will give way with a sharp stab of pain. I play it off, do a light jog, and keep it moving.
When I think about jumping, metaphorically, my mind imagines me in in space where I’m floating, nowhere to touch down, arms flailing to no avail because no matter how much I struggle, even if I’ve managed to move an inch, I settle back into my original position. I go nowhere. I am powerless.
Where did the ground go?
Nowhere. It’s right where you left it. Waiting for you.
How Will I Survive?
I’ve lost jobs before and found others to replace them. I have almost lost my home to foreclosure three times, and then recovered financially.
What’s the difference between things that happen to you in life and things that you choose to change?
When things happen, we take action, we ask for help, we do what we have to do to take care of ourselves, our families, our pets.
When we think of things we’d like to change, things that we have only considered in our minds, we freak out. We ask ourselves how will I survive, cope, find a new job, a new home, spouse, world?
Why is a figurative jump so much scarier than a literal one?
One Step at a Time
The known is, well, known. Why? Because we have done it before, known someone who has done it, or have heard of someone doing it before and we have some idea of what success or not so successful looks like. And because we “know” we feel that we can handle it.
The unknown is filled with many possibilities that range from success to lost in the desert. And the idea of where we might land terrifies us.
Where did we get that jumping metaphorically requires a literal ground?
That’s the beauty of it. If you’re thinking about taking something crazy on, making a life-changing decision, leaving something or someone behind, you can land anywhere you want to. There will always be somewhere to land…in your mind. And then all you have to do is prepare for the possible real-life outcomes and be prepared to adapt because there will be ones that you couldn’t possibly think of.
It will be hard, sure, but not as hard as you thought it would be, once you’re there. It’s like when you are about to give a speech. You feel faint, like you want to throw up, and have an anxiety attack all at once and then you start talking and it all goes away. You’re doing it! That was my experience anyway.
Jump, land, and either nod your head in approval or shrug your shoulders in okay let’s try that again.
Everybody has a business, education, love, or life plan. Take your time, take one step at a time, and after each step keep going, change course, or re-evaluate.
“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe in, is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.”
John Ruskin
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