On the ledge

I'm a leap of faith kind of girl. I strive to be honest with myself and others and make decisions from that place. I believe I was created with gifts and talents and I aspire live them out, even if it means letting go of old ideas about what I thought I wanted, what I thought it meant to succeed. 

There are so many times when I don't know. And when I don't know, I don't pretend like I do. But when I do know, when my heart thumps and my stomach flips and my soul speaks, I do something. I take the action. I make the choice. Even though knowing what to do next doesn't mean knowing what's going to happen next.  

But here's the thing. I always hold my nose.

Even when I tell myself I won't hold my nose because I see you over there taking a picture. Even when a friend grabs my hand and doesn't give me time to think about how high we are, and especially when someone else warns that it's going to sting when I hit the water.  

Once I heard someone say, "Let the butterflies in your stomach work with you, let them help you move forward." And when I get butterflies, I try to remember that. Secret: It doesn't work. Chatting with the butterflies doesn't make them go away.  

You know what does?  

Listening. Honoring. Doing the thing. Sure, something bad might happen, but more often than not, you rise to surface. You're back at the top. You're not holding your nose anymore. And you breathe. 

Anyone else out there on the ledge?