THIS LEAP YEAR, TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH

I must admit it – taking a leap of faith is never easy. It takes courage to do that. But who said anything worthy in life comes easy?

Living the life you want often means making some big changes in some part of your life. It could be related to your career, relationships, routine, or anything. Change can sound like a good idea in theory, but, in practice, it’s not always clear, especially if you are taking a leap of faith.

You cannot know for sure whether you can actually shift your life in the direction in which you want to go. Change, after all, is quite challenging. Or, if you succeed, whether that change will be what you really wanted in the first place.

Taking a leap of faith involves risk. Risks mean different things to different people. An investor likely equates risk in terms of opportunity; a parent perhaps with danger. As an entrepreneur, I consider risk compatible with the level of potential reward.

There are points in your life when you are called to take a leap of faith.

• You want to do something that is positive for your life, but you’re afraid.
• You’re afraid in case it doesn’t work out the way you want.
• You don’t want to make a mistake.
• You’re worried you don’t know exactly how to do it.
• You don’t want to risk anything.
• You want a crystal ball, to ensure you’re making the right decision.

No one can foresee what will happen to your life if you make some big changes. There is going to be that fear of the unknown – the theory of unintended consequences.

The Big Question

The big question that plays over and over again in our minds – “But, if I take a leap of faith, will it work out?” What if you fail?

“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” – Louis E. Boone

The whole concept of failure is wrongly defined by society. There is no failing when you leap. Someone who leaps is always a winner.  Whether you get the external “result” you want or not, you are succeeding in your journey.

What keeps most people stuck is worrying about failing, risking something, losing something, and what other people would think of them.

Things I do might not work out, but that never makes me a failure. Being a failure is only possible for people who believe in that word and choose to have it in their vocab. So just delete it from your dictionary. Free yourself. When things don’t work out, you’re a go-getter regardless.

And since you’re at it, also try to remove the word ‘try’ from your dictionary. Try is a word which gives us an exit/escape from what we are committing ourselves to do. 

As for what people have to say, well, nobody really cares. [“Kuch toh log kahenge!”] People who have time to sit around and judge others are not people worth worrying about.

If you’re thinking about taking a leap and you risk losing something, you have to be clear on what value that “something” has.There are not many things in life that are truly, deeply valuable and irreplaceable. Be conscious of what you’re placing value on and how important it is to you. And then, take a leap of faith.