A Leap of Faith
Throughout our lives we will face an array of decisions ranging from when to make a career change to how and when to ask for a raise and if we should start our own businesses to deciding what to study, where to live, when or if to get married or have children, how to invest, even how and when to retire. We crave greater freedom or more security, creative expression or more prestige, less stress or more excitement. We question our choices, ponder the possibilities and defer decisions.
For some of us the leap of faith is easier than others. We jump in without a second thought. But for many of us the fear of the unknown is too great to bear. We languish in indecision while the randomness of daily life dictates our destiny.
How do we take a leap of faith? How do we venture into the unknown when it seems like there is so much to loose? How will we know if we are on the “right” road?
Upon closer inspection, we may realize that we aren’t asking the right questions; our comfort is actually restlessness in disguise; our security is only perceived and our leaps of faith are not really into the unknown. We may start to recognize that the road we are on is neither right nor wrong – rather simply where we are in at the moment and that we decide how we’ll traverse the road and how long we remain on it.
How to Leap
Declare Your Independence!
While many of us are interested in making a change, the challenge of experimenting with vocation seems daunting. We often find ourselves mired in our circumstances.
There are a number of reasons we maintain our choosen course, and most of them have to do with fear. We may tell ourselves we can’t change because we have…
- Been trained, educated or licensed in a specific field
- Invested time and money in the profession/company
- Achieved success within the field
- Established contacts/connections
- Been out of the game to long
- Too many obligations
It is easy to doubt that we can transition to a new vocation, start a business or even find a new way of working in our current position. Our fears can box us in and we become further entrenched in the status quo – even if we are conflicted about the situation.
