Dear Leader, take the leap.

“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!” — C. JoyBell C.

How do you know when it’s time, or if it’s time, to start something new?

Last week, I started a new position – a new principal position. Starting a new position in the middle of a global pandemic is scary and uncertain. Building relationships in zoom meetings or wearing a mask adds a significant layer of challenge to something that is already difficult.

Change is hard. But, when change is on our own terms, when it comes because we are ready and willing to acknowledge that it’s time for the next adventure, then we can take each step with the confidence that we are stepping in to our own truth.

We always have a choice to remain or to move forward. Moving forward can be so hard. It means that we have to move away from the safe, secure, and the comfortable – even when that comfort is connected to the very source of our pain.

Choosing to move forward meant getting real with myself about how much I was putting in to holding on to the past. That energy that I was putting in to wishing that my life was on a different path was preventing me from moving forward and embracing the path I am on. So, choosing to move forward meant choosing to loosen my grip on the past. Talk about taking a risk!

Taking risks can be terrifying for people who struggle with anxiety or who need consistent affirmation. It requires being vulnerable and courage. In her book, Daring Greatly, Brené Brown describes vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” It’s that unstable feeling we get when we step out of our comfort zone or do something that forces us to loosen control. That is the definition of taking a risk. It’s unstable. It takes us out of our comfort zone.

But, it is outside of our comfort zones that the magic happens.

My growth is ahead of me. It is the road less traveled. Thomas Merton, in his prayer, says “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.” Never have those words found a more prophetic home.

So, here I am – not knowing the road ahead of me – only knowing that I am on this path for a reason and having faith that it will take me to a place of learning and of growth. I am looking ahead to new relationships, new experiences, and new learning.

Looking ahead with optimism.