One of the most powerful things we can do in our lives is learn to trust in something that is out of our reach. Learning to leap and trusting the net will appear.
Many people rely on proof of an outcome before jumping, but it is my belief that trusting our instincts and taking risks is the only way to hone those instincts for the future… and the outcome of making that leap of faith can give us a rush that is joyously addictive.
I remember when I was 19 and my boss in a safe but boring job – a job I had won over hundreds of competitors to secure two years before – suggested I take the weekend to consider if I really wanted to continue with the firm. I’d been late often and sometimes called in sick. Madness overwhelmed me and, without anything else to rely on for income, after a weekend’s consideration, I went in on Monday morning and handed in my notice.
Needless to say, my parents weren’t impressed, but I truly believed that working in an office wasn’t my life’s path and although I had nothing else to support me at the time, I decided to make that leap of faith. Lo and behold, only two months later, I was asked to become the drummer of Les Gray’s Mud and it was the magical embarkation of my three-decade-long professional music career.
This same leap I’ve made many more times since in my life, even moving, lock, stock and barrel, from Berlin to Cornwall without a house to move to, my wife and I trusting it would all work out. A week before the move, with flights booked and removal men clearing our house, confirmation of our Cornish accommodation came through. Phew!
It seems utter madness to jump off a cliff with nothing there to catch you. But life is about experiences, and I believe the deeper the cliff and the bigger the risk, the higher the rewards. And believe me, there is no greater feeling than landing in a net you couldn’t see when you jumped, but believed would save you when you did so. Utterly exhilarating and it gives life an intoxicating burst of jubilation. I can’t recommend it highly enough.