One of my favorite jokes goes like this:
Every day a man went into church, lit a candle and got down on his knees to pray. Every day he begged God “Please, please let me win the Lottery.”
He continued like this for weeks and months and even years, but he never won a penny.
Finally, someone up there must have had pity on the poor man. One day our friend heard a deep, booming voice reverberating throughout the church: “To win the Lottery… you must buy a ticket!”
How many times have you wished for something, but been reluctant to take the step that could help you achieve your goal? It can be scary to take a significant step toward your goal.
What if it doesn’t work? What if you fail? What if you succeed and your life actually is transformed, but it no longer feels like the life you’re familiar with? Thoughts such as these can keep you from taking the risk that could move you forward toward transforming your life for the better.
Yet if you never take that step, you will certainly never achieve your goals. If you do not take that risk, you may protect yourself from rejection or ridicule but you will never move ahead.
Once you actually take a risk, you will find exhilaration quickly replacing your terror. Few things are more empowering or energizing than actually moving through fear to take a step toward a desired goal. Once you have taken the leap and learned you can fly, the imagined risks seem insignificant in comparison to the possibilities you have created.
A Personal Example
I experienced this recently. My goal is to see my articles published in national magazines. In order for an article to be printed, a magazine editor needs to accept one for publication. No magazine editor will ever be able to accept my article unless I submit a query letter. So, if I don’t submit query letters to potential publishers I will never realize my goal of seeing my articles in print. Submitting a query letter felt incredibly scary until I realized that if I want to win the Lottery, I’m going to need to take that risk.
Submitting my first query letter took an enormous amount of courage. What I never anticipated was the exhilaration I felt the moment I actually sent it. My focus shifted completely from the fear of rejection and failure to the possibility of success. In taking that fearsome step I had done what I needed to do to create – for the first time – the possibility of achieving my goal and actually seeing my articles in print.
Of course, I may get rejection letters. But if I do, I’ll just keep sending the queries to other publishers until I find one that bites. I know that if I keep doing this, someday I will achieve my goal. If I don’t do this, I will never win the Lottery.
You Can Do It Too
Think of the goals you hesitate to move ahead on. Think about a risk you need to take to move toward that goal. Give yourself permission to take that risk and then go for it! You’ll create the possibility to achieve your goal and your good life will be better because of it!
PS. Feel free to email me. I’d love to hear about the scary steps you take, or have taken … and the successes they lead to!
Jeannette Samanen, Ph.D.
Jeannette’s professional development began with graduate school at the University of Oregon. Her first post-doctoral position was at the Boston University School of Medicine where, as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (Psychology), where she specialized in stress management and behavioral medicine. Jeannette has had over 30 years of experience as a life coach and psychologist and derives great pleasure from helping clients transform their lives for the better.
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Thanks for your encouraging comment.
I’m glad you found it interesting.
Cheers
Qatana
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