Cliffs.
As a child, my summers were spent happily splashing around the red waters of Lake Eufaula.
You knew it was a special day when my dad and uncle would take us for a boat ride to the marina for ice cream. On those trips, we’d almost always stop by the dam to visit the cliffs - a spot where the fearless would climb up boulders on the waters edge to plunge into the depths below.
I remember jumping off the cliffs as a kid with little-to-no resistance.
And then the summer before I traveled I ventured up the slimy boulders, stood atop the cliffs and thought, “Huh. These aren’t as tall as I remember.” See video below for some entertainment!
With barely a running start, I took a giant leaped and hurled myself into the water. I was all about taking leaps that year. Quitting my job. Traveling the world. Teaching yoga. I’d never been more high.
Because here’s the thing, it’s only when you leap that you learn to fly.
In 2018, upon my return, I stood atop the same cliffs petrified with fear. I wasn’t supposed to be home yet. What comes next? Where had my safety net gone? What if I could no longer fly?
After much deliberation, my cousin grabbed my hand, coerced me to the ledge and pulled me over the top with him. I was grateful for the nudge, but utterly fearful as I met the depths below.
How had so much changed? Who was this girl so afraid of what comes next?
Last weekend, a mere two years later, I was asked to jump off the cliffs. I politely declined. However, this time it wasn’t fear that held me back. I knew I didn’t need an actual cliff to show me I could fly.
While 2020 may be a crapshoot for so many, I’ve been jumping from cliffs since January 1 - hosting workshops, buying a business, firing a client 😳, saying no to marketing work as I shift priorities, saying yes to speaking gigs, dating again, being a guest on a podcast, making big investments and asking for business.
I’ve been known to seek outside validation to remind me of all that I am capable of accomplishing in this lifetime. However, all the words of affirmation don’t make it real until I accept it in the depths of my soul.
It’s in stillness that I get the answers I seek. I’ve known I was capable of flying all along, I simply needed to remind myself.
There are still several weekends left this summer. Who knows, maybe one will find me spreading my wings as I jump off the cliffs again - because I know I can fly.
Where are you standing on a cliff right now? What’s holding you back from taking the leap? Sweet friend, cliffs were made for jumping. And as your coach, I can help you take the leap.