I Took the Leap
“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” ~ Denis Waitley
Why are so many of us afraid to fail? Why does it seem like such a terrifying thing to try something new? Why is the thought of that new endeavor not working out so paralyzing?
Take the chance. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
We’ve all heard that for years. It’s not bad advice. If you try and fail, you are still better off than if you never tried at all. Right?
It sounds rational . . . yet, taking the leap, taking that step into the unknown, turning that maybe into reality, somehow still feels impossible to many of us.
It is said (random Google fact, so don’t hold me to the statistic or bet your life on it) that 98% of people stay in their comfort zone their entire lives. They’re never willing to try something that feels uncomfortable for them.
Imagine all the lost opportunities that means.
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.” ~Soren Kierkegaard
What if the thing that you were literally born to do is something that you’ve never tried before, so you totally miss out on it because you’re scared? Are you okay with that?
I’m not. That’s why I’m here. Medium is not comfortable for me. Sharing my thoughts is not comfortable for me. I’m a private person, and I’ve spent my entire life with a certain mentality. I live with the conviction that I shouldn’t share how I’m feeling because it makes me vulnerable. (I know — issues.)
I have never been okay with being vulnerable (reasons), but here I am. I’m taking a leap and hoping it pays off. If not, at least I let myself try.
A little over a decade ago, I took a similar leap and branched into editing as a side hustle. (Feel free to check out my new work-in-progress website, mgrayediting.com, if you have any need for such things. Up till recently, I rented a page on someone else’s website.) I had excellent grammar skills, a determination to make something of myself, and an almost alarming love of reading.
Over the first few years, my confidence grew, and I realized I have a real talent for helping writers to express what they meant to say when they put their words on paper. I’ve made a profession out of it. I have made more money than I ever could have imagined I would when I decided to take the chance (at the insistence of my husband — he believes in me more than I do) and bet on myself.
I spent my youngest daughter’s entire childhood contributing a substantial amount of income to our family by offering editing services to other writers. I was able to work from home, so she never had to step foot in a day care center. (I have no issue with moms choosing them, but it was important to me that my kids not be in day care.)
I made more money than I could have working outside the home (I was able to quit the job I hated, working nights so my husband could be with the kids, within six months), and I still had no child-care expenses and now no fuel costs. As an added bonus (a favorite!), there was no need to leave my house at 2:00 a.m.
That leap of faith paid off.
Somewhere along the way, my heart started calling me to publish content of my own. I have always had stories and words swirling in my head, and I even put them on paper at times, but I never shared them with anyone. I ignored the call to share for years.
Why mess with something that isn’t broken, right? Why take a risk when I had already cultivated a sure thing?
Because the leap is important. I am not good at taking chances, but I want to learn to be. I want to learn to be willing to bet on me. To believe in me.
Maybe this experience will come to nothing more than me playing around on Medium for a while, making a few connections. Maybe I was born to help other people perfect their words. Maybe I wasn’t born to share my own words.
The thing is, I’ll never know if I don’t try. It’s something I have to do.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with staying somewhere that you feel comfortable. I don’t feel that comfort zones are necessarily the enemy.
I actually like comfort zones. They’re so cozy.
But what if you let your comfort zone turn into a rut? I do have a problem with being in a rut.
I want to fight against that. I want to live up to my potential. I want to teach my daughters that they can and should live up to their own potential. I want them to know they don’t have to limit themselves.
The only way I can teach them that is by example.
I took the leap.
We’ll see where it goes.