“JUST DO IT ALREADY!” My Experiences with Leaps of Faith

Sometimes the only way is jumping. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.

Gavin DeGraw’s got the right attitude.

Once in a while, I like to take you out of the world of social media and give you a glimpse into the world of Christa.  So far this year, the first post of the month has been regarding my professional resolutions and how they’re doing so far, but I figured that could wait until next time.

This quote hangs out on my work computer to remind me how good leaps of faith are.

Leaps of faith are tricky things. Well, to me they are at least.

I didn’t really take a lot of risks in my life.  They’re something I shied away from for a number of reasons, mainly because I can’t get over the nerves to actually take the leap, let alone see how it plays out, whether it’s how I want it to or not.  I know that’s silly but that’s just how it’s been since I can remember.

Things changed now that I graduated from college.  I’m trying to take more risks in how I present myself, how I think about my relationships, and how I get what I want.  Why is this relevant now, you may ask?  It’s simple.

For a week or two, I had been going back and forth about something that could potentially change my [personal] life- in a good way- but the nerves of getting there were absolutely terrifying me.  I weighed out pros and cons and discussed with a select few of my closest best friends.  It took a while but I eventually realized, “what do I have to lose?” Also, my sister [who is studying abroad in Paris] gave me the biggest push over the phone yesterday by yelling at me and telling me to do it so she didn’t have to hear about it anymore.  That really helped.  But I knew she was right.  I just needed someone to tell me in a way that would get under my skin (and I am very thankful to my little sis for doing that ;] ).

After that phone conversation, I just made the call that I knew in my heart I had to make all along.  While I’m still waiting to see how this specific situation plays out, at least I know that I made the first step to change my life somehow.  If it doesn’t work out the way I want it to, I know that I am a better person for doing this and making every effort to do so.  I’m sure I would look back and wonder “what if” if I didn’t, and that has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.  At least I think so anyway.

The same thing can apply in your professional life.  If you want to have a different and out-of-the-box resume, go for it.  Want to take a new approach to something old? Talk to your boss about it.  These are the years we, as young professionals, are to find ourselves.  How can we do that if we don’t take risks and learn from mistakes, if that’s the case?  If you don’t, you’ll be left with that feeling in the pit of your stomach, knowing that you didn’t do what’s right for you.  While I’ve never taken any of these risks in my professional life yet, I know that lessons from my personal life will be just enough push to help me do so.

After all, you don’t want to live your life wondering what could have been.  That’s no way to live.

How have leaps of faith affected your life?  Do you regret taking those leaps?