Meet The Moment

I had a conversation with a friend and we were talking about the difference between the intuition to slow down and wait versus dragging your feet. 

And how you find that compass and learn to trust it.

As we were talking, an image came into my mind of the high dive at the pool I swam at in my childhood.

I started thinking about the sequence of decisions that one would have to make - when you decide to jump off the high dive for the first time.

First - you have to decide you want to get off the lawn chair where you are comfortable tanning with baby oil and Madonna on the boom box (ok, I'm from the 80's - "I'm Crazy for You").

If you make it past that decision, you end up at the base of a tall ladder and you have to decide to take that first step up.

The next pivot point is the last wrung of the ladder - right before you step out onto the diving board. Should I stay and keep going with this plan? Or should I turn back? 

And finally, the last leap - walking to the end of the diving board and knowing that either decision at this point is vulnerable. Turning around at this phase could be dangerous...but jumping still seems crazy.

Each of these milestones is an opportunity to meet the moment.

To ask yourself if it's a bigger risk to go for it and possibly fail? Or to play it safe and risk regret?

And most often, freedom lives on the other side of fear.

I can remember the first time I jumped off that high dive...and survived.

And then refined my strategy, eventually running up the ladder that was initially so intimidating and tweaking my form so that I didn't smack too hard or get water up my nose.

What started as a huge goal...eventually became child's play.

I LOVED this image and metaphor.

In business, in parenting, in marriage, in life...in leadership.

When we meet each moment with curiosity and presence to move beyond those moments of fear, we build the muscle that reminds us of what we are capable of...one step at a time.

Can you remember a time when you "met the moment" and moved through it? How was it on the other side?

Is there a place in your life that you feel paralyzed in moving forward? Can you break it down into smaller steps and decisions?

That might help you loosen the grip on the rails.

Happy Friday :)

Jen