One of my favourite parts of summer is going to the lake. I have a deep affinity for lakes. Being by a lake, or better yet, swimming in a lake opens my heart to the beauty and possibilities of Life like nothing else.

You’d never guess that I grew up with a fear of water that still raises its head from time to time. For one thing, I can’t stand the feeling of being underwater. And jumping off a dock (never diving head first!) is something I need to work myself up to. Yet, I do it at least once a summer, if only to remind myself that I can do it.

This fear of jumping is a pattern I see in other parts of my life. It’s also a pattern I see in my clients. It shows up as dissociation from the body. It comes up as the resistance to dive deep into her symptoms. It expresses itself when she goes off topic constantly during a session.

What if I jump and there’s no one there to catch me?

Pain comes from contraction, from resistance. The pain comes when a part of you says No.

Whereas, saying Yes opens a door.

After years of living in fear, I gradually learned the benefits of taking that leap from No to Yes. Not always graceful, sometimes I land on my ass or flat on my face. I’ve broken hearts (including my own), I’ve embarrassed myself, and I’ve failed. But through it all, I’ve learned to live life on my own terms.

When the door closed on my first marriage, it took a great deal of courage for me to walk into a void of unknown with 2 kids in tow. I should have trusted that a window would open somewhere, and I was soon exploring a path of profound self-discovery.

Two years ago, it took a leap of faith to head off to a conference without knowing anyone there.

That same year, I’d signed up for an online course for more money than I had available. The decision was based solely on the fact that I’d made a specific request of the Universe, and the program appeared out of the ether. Not only did it provide the exact tools I needed, it came with a dynamic community – its own built-in safety net.

Offering talks and online programs when the holistic health school I’d taught at for 5 years had to close its doors…just when I was hitting my stride as a teacher.

Those moments of saying Yes, and the subsequent dominoes in my life, turned out to be a wise investment in my practice, my health and my inner growth. They proved to me, yet again, that I could trust Life to bring me what I need when I need it.

My tendency, my default response is still to say No, for fear of falling, or worse, failing. With practice, I’ve learned how to trust Life to keep me safe when I say Yes. I’ve learned how to trust myself and others.

I’ve learned that when I say Yes, I fly.

What’s stopping you from leaping? What’s been you to make that first step – what kind of support do you need to do it? When you share your thoughts in the comments, you open the possibilities for others.

Know someone who could use a helping hand to make a change? Use any (or all!) of these social share buttons to let her know.

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