Taking the leap

“Sometimes the scariest bridge to burn is the one between you and the person you thought you were” Tanya Markul

Leap – and the net will appear!

How do you tell your story?

Regardless of what you’ve done, where you’ve come from, or who you are – your personal truth is important.

For you. For others. For the entire world.

At a time when we are being tested on many fronts – both literally and figuratively, with the COVID-19 virus, current economic upheaval in the markets and uncertainty for business leaders – developing the courage and trust ‘muscles’ to follow the signs and listen deeply to your instincts is increasingly necessary. Yet it is not always easy as you ‘leap into the unknown’.

I know I personally have hesitated and questioned myself, with doubt and fear, as to whether my choices were crazy, or divinely guided as my own Standing Tall journey magically unfolds and shows itself.

What if I made a mistake? Could I ever go back? What was on the other side of my decision? Would I be okay?

I recently saw the film “1917”, which was fascinating when viewed from the perspective of it not just being a war movie, but one of ‘choices’ made, with the end outcome unknown. The way the main character – a soldier, went in support of his friend, without initially knowing the reason for their assignment. Their mission was to stop an ill-fated attack by another British division, “2nd Division”, on the Germans who had supposedly retreated. The mission was based on inaccurate information. The attack would have wiped out the entire division. With just eight hours to get the letter to the General to stop the attack, their journey was definitely one of courage and trust in each other – but more importantly, with themselves.

Safely making it across “no mans land” – which was a field, only to be hit by a detonation in the tunnel, losing his friend – whose good intentions of helping the injured pilot enemy ended with him being killed. All alone, he navigated his way through a destroyed city, dodging bullets and then taking a ‘leap of faith’ by jumping into (and surviving) a raging river, in order to deliver the message to the General. The message delivered, just in time to prevent the massacre of 1000’s of British soldiers – and the General initially did not believe him.
He held fast to his task and his integrity.

Sometimes we just have to trust. To have that courage and leap!

The truth is, sometimes we do not know what is on the other side of our threshold. That is what a threshold is – when we leave the known for the unknown.

It is often a scary unknown, but one that requires taking a step, and allowing a path to appear to one’s future. If we so choose, we can create with our Higher Selves and deep intuitive wisdom an even higher source, depending on our belief and journey so far. My Standing Tall journey to my authentic Self – to my future and life, often involved blindly stepping into places, relationships and situations where, my normal rational, resistant and intellectual mind – thought I was a tad crazy.

However, since I was and am committed to cultivating and practicing, with patience and deep awareness, the Standing Tall qualities; my courage and trust ‘muscles’ have strengthened . It has taken time. Most of us have the seeds of these ‘qualities’ in us. Some have been able to develop and integrate them with greater ease and less angst.

We choose what we want to see.

As John O’Donohue says in Anam Cara, “ The human eye is always selecting what it wants to see and also what it does not want to see”.

The crucial question then is – what criteria do we use to decide what we like to see and to avoid seeing what we do not want to see?

This is what is required to stand tall in one’s truth and thus to take a stand and walk tall in how you engage in your environment.

I sent an email to check-in with a client this week. He responded to me by saying, “I have alligators up to my armpits”. This was my second email to him.

He has lost three of his management team, and reading his email alerted me to the fact that how he was seeing his world, had reverted back to action and control, as opposed to Pause, Reflect, Observe The latter would allow him to reflect on “what is needed from me now” as the leader of the team and the business? By pointing this out to him, I was about to help him to stop, breathe and identify what his priorities really should be. A different lens from which to look at what was happening.

It is a startling truth that how you see and what you see determines how and who you will be. Exploring your particular style of seeing is an interesting way of beginning to do some of the interior work.

The fearful eye is always besieged by threat. To the greedy eye, everything can be possessed. I think we are seeing this play out now in many parts of the globe.

The judgmental eye – looks out and is always excluding and separating, never seeing things in a compassionate way.

The resentful eye – everything is begrudged. They can never enjoy who they are or what they have.

The indifferent eye, nothing calls, touches us or awakens us. Indifference is necessary for power.

The inferior eye is always looking away from its own treasures, it can never celebrate its now presence and potential.

To look someone in the eye is a nice testament to truth, courage and expectation.

Each one stands on common, but different, ground. Maybe in these times of incredible change, uncertainty and the unknown, the bridge across tomorrow to our becoming who we are is to see through the loving eye.

• What is your pattern of seeing?

• How could you take that leap of faith and stand tall in who you are?

For me it is about being sincere and uncompromising in my willingness to face what is superfluous or fabricated within my nature!

That is the bridge to who I (can) BE.
As Emerson extended to a colleague :
“Who you are…..thunders so loud that I cannot hear your words.”