The Ledge

We all have a penchant for getting “stuck” from time to time.  As we get older and particularly after the age of 40 the urgency we feel to get unstuck grows, as does our fear and apprehension about stepping outside our comfort zones.  The push and pull of these two opposing forces can be daunting. We know in our heart that we need to pull it together and heave ourselves out of whatever rut we’ve fallen into but it’s always so easy to come up with a host of reason why this isn’t possible. This situation is what I call living on THE LEDGE.

I call it this because getting our self out of a rut where we have become complacent and comfortable can feel like we are standing on the edge of a great precipice, knowing that the place we really want to be is somewhere over the edge, but feeling simply terrified of taking the plunge even while hearing that voice of encouragement deep inside that you must leap off the ledge while trusting that this is all part of our unique big picture.

I’ve been at the ledge many times and I know that I will probably be there again in the future.  I see myself standing on the side of a mountain overlooking a big, beautiful world. And as I look out into the expanse of what is possible I am cognizant that I have been in this same exact place man times before with the same excuses, anxieties and justifications playing like a broken record in what seems at that moment to be a very confined mind.

I am also becoming aware that there lies part of the problem because I am totally in my head though my heart is yearning for change and growth.  Standing here I am simply not willing to go with the authentic flow of my soul and choosing to stay attached to the misery of sameness.

There are two choices when standing on THE LEDGE; we can either gather up our inner strength and leap, trusting that we will land safely filling our entire being with fresh possibilities while saying a resounding YES to our Self, leaving behind the dishonest comfort of our rut OR we can stand on the ledge and wait for the tempest of fears, doubts, hopelessness and stress to die down and rest against the mountain for a few more weeks until this diatribe swirls up again…and it will for sure.   

Once you are cognizant that you are ledging and that you see it as a habit going nowhere it will not let you alone, ever, until you do something about it.   The truth of your brilliance is naturally and organically rising so Listen, trust and do like Nike…Just do it! The message you’re getting is very simple…life is short, time is of the essence… NIKE and just do it!