Jumping Into The Deep End …
A while back, a friend of mind and I were discussing the topic of commitment. I was sharing a situation where I felt that I needed to be ‘all in’ or not. Sitting on a fence for too long can become uncomfortable.
My friend was telling me about a television show he watched where they asked a guy if he knew how to swim. The guy replied, “Sure, I watched videos on the internet and practiced on the kitchen floor!”
He was quick to follow up with, “Imagine, someone thinking they could swim because they watched a video, rolled around on the floor, but never got in the water!”
It get worse …
He then said “So are you in, or are you out? By the way, do you remember when you said those exact same words to me not too long ago?”
One of the worst things about having a close friend is that they will remind you of things you told them when they were in a similar situation. One of the best things about having a close friend is that you can trust them to tell you the truth … even when it stings.
What’s The Point?
- You can’t swim until you get in the water.
- You will not realize your dreams until you take the first step to act-u-a-l-i-z-e them.
- You’re not a leader just because you read a book on leadership or have the title.
- You’ re not a parent, if you’ve never raised kids.
- You will never experience love, if you’re not willing to open your heart, take a risk, and let it in.
If you really want something, you have to be willing to take a leap of faith and jump into the deep end of the pool. And you have to do it, even if you’re afraid.
Author, David Hawkins once wrote, “Greatness is the courage to overcome obstacles.” You have to be willing to bump up against and overcome obstacles, if you want to realize your dream.
A lot of people have dreams and desires, very few people are willing to take the risk to experience them. Maybe they hold back out of fear that their dream will die if they fail? Sometimes, the idea of a dream is better than the dream itself. If that’s the case, there is a good chance that it’s probably not your dream. It might be better to let go and move on. Find the dream that tells you that your life will be incomplete, if you don’t experience it.
Realizing your dream, jumping into the deep end of the pool, facing your fear, believing in yourself when others don’t, putting your body of work into the marketplace so others (who never have) can poke holes and criticize you, requires courage. Immense courage and a willingness to jump!
Sometimes you need to let it go, sometimes you just need to jump, and sometimes, you need to lean-in … lean-in so far, that you can’t go back!
So which do you need to choose?
