WWWWHHHHHEEEEEEE!!!
I would generally not describe myself as a risk taker. Jumping out of a plane or plummeting off a bridge with only a bungee cord between me and death holds no appeal to me.
I was sharing this with a friend the other day and she looked at me incredulously.
Actually what she said is “Are you fucking kidding me?’
So I sat back and thought about her words. And I realized she was right. I may not want to be shot out of a cannon, but there have been so many times in my life where I have leaped fast and far and wide without a net in sight.
Ending relationships that I knew were no longer right for me. Quitting my job and leaving everything behind to spend 90 days in Kentucky healing. Hell, anytime I have dared to speak the truth falls into this category.
One of the biggest plunges into the unknown came when I decided to start my own practice in 2015. To be totally honest, I only made this bold move because I lost my job. And also totally honest? I had felt pulled toward it for a couple of years. Sometimes-ok lots of times- the universe has to hit me over the head with a brick to get me to let go of something and open to the new adventure.
Let go I did, even with claw marks. And I want to share what I have learned about myself from taking this risk in case you are thinking of taking one too…
–When you move in alignment with your soul, people, resources and opportunities appear that you would not expect and can not explain. I remember the day I made the decision to open my practice. I was in a frenzy about where I would find an office and how much would it cost, etc. I called my therapist friend Marilyn and asked if she knew anyone renting office space. She “happened” to have someone vacate one of the offices in her building that day and would I like to have it?. Yes, please. And that has been my office ever since. There were so many other signs and markers along the way to let me know this was the right path. There will be for you too, so look out for them.
-I am really fucking good at what I do AND I am not for everyone. The people who love working with me LOVE working with me. And there are people who are not ready for what I offer or simply want something else. And both are Ok It does not mean anything about me or them, other than we are not a match at this time. It took time for me to settle into this truth and it will for you too. The more discerning you become about who you are and what you offer- in whatever realm you offer it- the sheer volume of people who will want to partner with you decreases. Let it. You know who’s left over? The people who totally dig you and genuinely want to be in your space.
–You will doubt your sanity until the moment you jump off the cliff… and maybe even after that! There were many times I thought I must be crazy to start my own business. I’m a therapist for God’s sake, not an entrepreneur.. Wouldn’t I be smarter to find another job with dependable income and health insurance? Maybe. But I also knew that I had something to offer people and I would not be able to give it in the way I wanted working for someone else. More often than not, there are perfectly good reasons that we “should” take the safe route. And you can. There’s no shame in that at all. I just want you to now that there’s a price to pay for that choice, and very often it’s your vitality and aliveness. You may not be able to explain to anyone else in this planet, including yourself, why you want to take this risk. Guess what? You don’t have to. In fact, the more you try to justify the decision to yourself, the less likely you are to go for it.
–Staying in the same place is as hard as jumping, if not harder. Risk taking is not for the feint of heart. But then again, neither is complacency. Do you know how much effort and energy you actually use ignoring your call of the wild? To watch your life silently pass you by like a whisper when you know you are here to ROAR? A shit ton. Resignation has such a heavy, life sucking quality to it. Gifting yourself the experience of authentic expansion puts you directly in the stream of magic, miracles, synchronicity and endless possibilities. So ride the current, people. It’s waiting for you.
Much love,
Candace