Take a Leap of Faith

Life is all about taking risks. I mean life in and of itself is a risk. We all take chances in our life, by falling in love, driving our car, moving, accepting a job offer, and quitting a job. Since life is one big risk, why is it then that many of us are so scared of getting out of our comfort zone and taking the chance to get what we really want out of life?

I remember my first big risk. When I was sixteen years old I went on vacation with my best friend. One night as we were driving down a touristy area in Florida we spotted a place for bungee jumping. When we saw it we both knew we had to do it. I want to preface with saying I don't take risks like this and the idea of possibly turning into a Stephanie pancake is not one I am particularly fond. However, at that moment I was determined to bungee jump and nothing was going to stop me.  The whole process of getting properly harnessed and climbing up the crazy amount of steps to the ledge seemed to go by so fast. However, once I got to the ledge and the attendant asked me if I was ready to jump, time stood still. I looked down and could feel my heart racing. The distance between me and the ground was so far, and all I could think about was how could this little cord possibly keep me from smashing into the ground. Each second moved slowly as I would inch my feet towards the edge. I remember several times putting one foot out but then edging back to safety. After many times of going back and forth the attendant looked me dead in the eyes and said, "You can't keep worrying looking over the edge, you have to just run and not think about it"! Guess what, that's exactly what I did. I stopped questioning everything and ran off the ledge. The feeling of falling was quick, and obviously I didn't turn into a pancake. It was also one of the best moments of my life, because I faced a risk and didn't let fear get in the way of doing something I wanted.

Every time I think about taking a risk in life, I look back at that day and realize that fear should not take over my decisions. We need to stop worrying and just go for it! Nothing should stop us from getting what we want out of life, especially our fears. So go out there, stop looking over the ledge, and jump!

Life is Epic!
Steph