The 4th grader you're about to see has more intestinal fortitude than many adults I know. She is a great example of what we all do before taking the leap.
We try to talk ourselves into it. We obsess, we interrogate, we obsess some more.
We feel our nerves, sometimes we shy away from the edge, and we generally believe we're not capable.
Then, with the encouragement of a guide, a mentor, a friend, someone around us, we give it a go.
When we come to the bottom of our 20 meter jump, we realize that it was the anxiety at the top of the hill that made it feel so crazy. We confidently say that a 60 meter jump is nothing now. We can do it because we've got experience with the smaller jump.
But that first jump... it's a doozy!
When it comes to making a commitment, we hem and haw quite a bit, don't we? But once we make the commitment, once we jump, all we can do is surrender to the process. Try not to "snowplow" on our way through the jump. Keep it straight. Essentially stay committed to the course.
When we come out on the other side, we're whoopin' and hollerin' and generally thrilled with our result. We don't bemoan our form, or how poorly we did something. We DID it, for crying out loud. That's enough cause for celebration right now.
But a decision alone is not enough. Did you hear her at the beginning? "I'll do it... here goes something.. I guess.... I'm gonna jump..."
Did you hear that small voice of her friend at the top of the hill? "The longer you wait, you'll be more scared."
Finally not only does she decide to jump. She commits to it. She actually jumps. She leaves the comfort of knowing the person she was before the jump, leaves her "old testament" and literally leaps into her new testament. This is what Queen Latifah calls a "life stopping moment" where life as we knew it ceases to be. It STOPS. Because we've begun something new.
"World changing ideas are born out of evolution. Breathing life into those ideas is what becomes the revolution." - Simon Sinek
When I was a teenager, I read Jump and The Net Will Appear by Robin Crow. Not a traditional book for young readers, but I was obsessed with reading anything I could get my hands on related to the music industry. Robin's story is now one that resonates deeply in my heart because of the parallels our stories share. At 40, Robin was facing the end of nearly everything, when he was inspired to step into his new testament. At his home in Nashville he built Dark Horse Recording into the premiere recording studio that many music legends now call their home away from home. He's since gone on to author best selling books, multiple albums, and has become a sought after speaker - all since the age of 40.
Who says you're too old to pursue your dreams?
But you can't keep standing at the top of the hill talking yourself into your dreams. You've got to jump.
Robin parlayed his commitment to his new testament into a wildly successful venture that now includes an institute to train leaders and music professionals as well as business minds across the globe. Not bad for his new testament.
Is it all rosy? No. And we'll go there tomorrow. Today, though, make the commitment to actually jump. And act. Jump into your new testament and surrender to the process. Let the net appear, and enjoy the ride.