Ever do something you're incredibly excited about that at the same time scares the hell out of you? Set a goal for yourself that seems almost impossible but at the same time totally doable? Strike out to achieve, build, or create something at a risk to yourself? Even when you didn't completely understand what was pushing you to expand your boundaries?
Think about it. Did you train for a race? Interview for that job? Quit that job? Put down that deposit on that Harley Davidson? Did you say yes, or did you say no when the universe gave you the opening to make a big change? Is the window still open? Do you still dream? Or does fear almost imperceptibly hold you back from taking up a challenge?
Man, do I dream. And on that note, I've been making some plans that thrill me...and at the same time scare the poo out of me. What am I thinking? I've got a house full of kids and plenty to occupy me. But ever since I decided being a counselor would be a good idea, I also believed in my community having access to free mental health care.
So I decided to wander over to Community Lifeline Center (check us out at communitylifeline.org) to see if they might need a mental health gun-for-hire. Turns out they think I can not only think I can counsel, but that I can run a whole community counseling center for them. Insert spit take here!
Am I on crack that I would take this on? Evidently I am certifiable, because I've not only brought on some lovely helpers but we're plotting to find you and give you free counseling if you live in Collin County. I, the electronically challenged. I, the harried mother of three. I, the clearly crazed.
But I, like you, have a calling. What is the Source daring you to do? What would you do if money and resources were not an issue? What do you do a little better than other people do, get lost in the moment doing it? Can you make it a gift to the world? Do you dare?
I may be making a huge mistake. I may be biting off more than I can chew. Can I really direct a mental health initiative for the county? Who the hell do I think I am?
Hey. Maybe I can't pull this off. Maybe it's a mistake. But it's not feeling that way. It's feeling like the Universe is lining up for something good to happen. All I know is I've been putting this dream out there in the form of energy for years, and here's my counseling building for the community.
So, onward and upward. I'll take it a day at a time. When there's a knot, I'll get people to help me. Especially when it comes to electronic records which scare me most of all. But I digress. I truly believe as long as I'm working to give my Source-given talents to the world, I will be guided in the right direction. But it's up to me not to give an inch to fear, to answer the call, to take the risk.
So what about you? Who the hell are you? What's presenting itself to you? What's a risk you could take to give your gift an airing? Can you step out of our comfort zone in order to make your gifts count in the world? I have to confess, it's breathtaking sometimes. It's also terrifying and some work for you. But I'd argue it's why we're here.
So let's hold hands and jump off a cliff together, shall we? Here's what author Martha Beck had to say about this:
"Some cartoon characters whip out hankies, improvise parachutes, and float daintily to Earth. Others crash-land and pop up only slightly woozy. The more leaps of faith you take, the more you'll find your own hankies: ways of solving problems when they appear. When you crash, you'll keep getting better at the pop-up. You'll live through every leap except the big one at the end. And even if you never leap, you'll die anyway."
So this kind of thinking leads me to the door of a community service agency, where I'm being called to adventure. Fear makes bad decisions anyway. Join me and take a leap of faith. You just might be looking at a dream come true. If the call keeps coming? Answer it.
