When you get to the end of all the light you know and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things will happen. Either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.
-Physicist Edward Teller
When was the last time you took a risk? When was the last time you took a leap of faith and jumped into the darkness? I must admit that I am not generally a risk taker. Temperamentally I am way too cautious. I don’t usually go where angels fear to tread and I tend to think before I do anything. This might be a safe way to live but it can also slow one’s progress and limit one’s opportunities. Sometimes it is fear that holds us back and other times it is a lack of confidence. Occasionally we all suffer from a fear of success. Yesterday I met with two people who are currently reading and selecting what they think are the best writing I’ve done. The three of us are working together to publish my first book. It has taken me years to get to this point despite much encouragement. I took a small risk asking my friends to help me. They are busy people with their own lives. What if they said no? Fortunately for me they both said yes. While we were talking yesterday one of them said, “You never know. This could be huge”. That almost scared me a little. What if I am actually a success? How will I handle that? Being successful has never been a problem for me because I have never really felt successful in my life. In some ways this effort to actually publish a book is a step into the darkness for me if for no other reason than I have never done it before and I don’t really know what I am doing. My fear is lessoned by the support and encouragement of people who believe in me. I am a little afraid that I might not be ordinary. I lived most of my life in the comfort zone of just being an ordinary person. What about you? Do you fear your own potential and greatness? Are you hiding behind a false humility that masks a potential gift? If so, step out of the darkness and take a leap of faith.
-Physicist Edward Teller
When was the last time you took a risk? When was the last time you took a leap of faith and jumped into the darkness? I must admit that I am not generally a risk taker. Temperamentally I am way too cautious. I don’t usually go where angels fear to tread and I tend to think before I do anything. This might be a safe way to live but it can also slow one’s progress and limit one’s opportunities. Sometimes it is fear that holds us back and other times it is a lack of confidence. Occasionally we all suffer from a fear of success. Yesterday I met with two people who are currently reading and selecting what they think are the best writing I’ve done. The three of us are working together to publish my first book. It has taken me years to get to this point despite much encouragement. I took a small risk asking my friends to help me. They are busy people with their own lives. What if they said no? Fortunately for me they both said yes. While we were talking yesterday one of them said, “You never know. This could be huge”. That almost scared me a little. What if I am actually a success? How will I handle that? Being successful has never been a problem for me because I have never really felt successful in my life. In some ways this effort to actually publish a book is a step into the darkness for me if for no other reason than I have never done it before and I don’t really know what I am doing. My fear is lessoned by the support and encouragement of people who believe in me. I am a little afraid that I might not be ordinary. I lived most of my life in the comfort zone of just being an ordinary person. What about you? Do you fear your own potential and greatness? Are you hiding behind a false humility that masks a potential gift? If so, step out of the darkness and take a leap of faith.
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