Leaping before you look... at every little detail.

When I work with clients, I help them not only look before they leap into a new job, I request they look very closely at themselves.  I require them to ask very detailed, pointed questions of themselves.  And it's certainly not easy... at least it shouldn't be.  In my opinion, if it's too easy, the questions apparently aren't the right ones!

This is because productive self discovery takes a lot of energy and digging, not to mention guts.  After all, you are unearthing something quite raw, yet genuine:  your true self.  It takes time and patience to keep asking yourself, "what exactly am I REALLY good at?"  "What do I do so naturally that I could wake up from a deep sleep at 2 am and do it?" and, most importantly, "What do I need to specifically do every day to be fulfilled?  To fulfill the needs of others?"

But after the self discovery phase and the goal planning is over, it's all about the leaping. About trying some new things, experimenting, asking tough questions of other people and then of yourself.  Maybe even being more invasive (albeit diplomatically) with others than you are accustomed to or are comfortable with.

Leaping, and, in turn, growing, is all about knowing how much you don't know and going for it anyway.  Knowing that the details are anywhere from being ironed out, but that they don't matter as much as taking a step in that direction.  Especially when it's UNKNOWN.

And, boy, is that hard!  Plunging into the fiery waters of the unknown is very, very difficult for most of us.  In fact, most of us aren't even aware of how much we use the unknown as an excuse for not trying something new; for not leaving our comfort zone called the status quo.  Even those of us who are so-called risk takers have definite moments of not wanting to rock our own world of risk-taking.  Staying put or committing to something rather than moving ahead can be unknown for risk-takers, so even they are not in any way exempt from being afraid and stifled by the unknown.

I just read this wonderfully written book, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.  Although you'd probably list it under the subject of Civil Rights, I would list it under the heading, "Growing."  It's a wonderful book about taking chances on yourself doing something you believe in, even, and especially, if you haven't any idea how it's going to turn out.

In that vein, I came across a quote the other day from the first president of the new Czech Republic, back in 1993.  He poignantly said,

"Work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance of success." 

I now keep that quote taped to my laptop, so I can look at it every time I go through my own personal litany of self-doubts.

I suppose it's that leap of faith, whether you're religious or not.  I tell my clients that if they are spiritual people, they are going to need every ounce of faith they have that what they are changing in their lives is worth it.  No matter what.  If this change is what they need to do, then they are going to have to rely on some faith that things will eventually fall into place.   And knowing ahead of time how those things will fall into place is usually just not part of the deal.