Leap of Faith from liz-green.com
MJ, one of the very loyal and resourceful readers of this blog, sent me this quote a few weeks ago and its been milling around in my mind ever since. I’ve been thinking a lot about boxes – the ones we put ourselves into, the ones we put other people into, and the ones others put us into. I’ve been thinking of taking a more freelance approach to my life and work, and this potential is causing equal amounts of anxiety and excitement. I feel like I’ve got one foot firmly planted on a ledge and one hanging in mid-air. To combat this feeling, I focus on my breath until the anxiety passes.
And then this quote by Anne Morriss will pop into my mind. Perhaps a commitment to this new road is what I need to put the fear to rest for good. Rather than going round and round about the possibility, what I may need to do is stop waiting and just leap. What I’m doing now feels akin to holding my breath, freezing so that I won’t slip or stumble. We exhibit the freeze response when we encounter fear that we feel like we can’t fight or flee. The fear is all around us and so we hold, hoping it passes us by without seeing us.
This fear I have at the moment is different. It doesn’t really ever subside because it’s in anticipation of a step I know I must eventually take. Just today, I spoke with 3 good friends who have come to the realization that they need to have greater control over their careers, and that means taking their careers more into their own hands rather than leaving their promotion entirely at the hands of others. One just joined a start-up, and two are considering their own ventures entirely. All came to this conclusion: they are their own best bosses.
Not perfect and certainly not without its own challenges, but as good as it gets.
What entrepreneurship gives us, as Anne Morriss so brilliantly gets at in her quote, is the removal of walls and barriers to our potential. So long as we allow someone else to put us in a box constructed completely of their goals, performance reviews, rules, and visions of success, then we give someone else the power to define our future. The only box I’m ultimately interested in is the box I put myself into because I always have the option to break out of that one and redefine its boundaries. Perhaps its time for some re-imagineering of just how my time is spent, with whom, and for what.
Re-imagineering is my new favorite word!!! You’re an inspiration my friend!!!!
Thanks, Urs!! I’m a big fan of this word and action, too
An absolutely perfect post. Just what the doctor ordered. Thanks.
So glad, Alex. Let’s tear down those walls and toss those boxes!
Christa,
Yes, but it is equally important to be realistic.
Ideally, your dream should go hand-in-hand with pragmatism.
For example: it would be wise to have a back-up plan. Do you have enough money saved up? Do you feel comfortable leaving your job to start a new business venture like Compass Yoga?
What if things don’t work out. In the long term, of course, things will work out, but what if things are not as per your expectations in the short term?
These are not negative thoughts, but thoughts that every entrepreneur has to think about. We all need a cushion to break our fall, after all.
Even after you start your company, you will find that things will pick up very slowly. You will need patience and a long-term perspective. Start-ups are never easy. It takes time to convert dreams into a reality.
Just something to think about. Hang in there. Keep your chin up.
Cheerio.
I totally agree, Archan. I’ve been saving a lot the past four years exactly so i could build up a safety net, and I like having a multiple income stream life. Eases teh anxiety and gives me so many more options. All the same, I love you advice and appreciate your concern. The plan is coming together!