The Expedition of Leaping.

I am scared. There, I said it. I am about to start studying for a certain certification.  I have alot of books to study and although I am excited, I am also very scared. This is unknown territory for me. I have taken tests before with other organizations and failed. Will I fail yet again? What makes this time around different in the fact that I will be successful?

I guess that's what makes life so exciting and fun. Overcoming challenges that pose as hurdles to your dreams. I know I CAN do this, it's just a matter of actually getting it done. Can I depend on myself enough to accomplish this success? I think I can, but I guess now it's just time to prove to myself I can.

I just got back from Europe. On every stinkin' vacation I've ever been on, I have gained weight, even if it's just a couple pounds. Well, this time around, I lost 3 lbs! This was huge for me. Like jumping over that weight hurdle and smashing the expectations I have let others put on me over the course of my lifetime. I stood up and said a bold "NO" to those things and accomplished my goal. I now weigh 144 lbs. Last fall, I weighed 155. That is awesome. Nothing can stand in my way anymore. I will accomplish what I set my mind to do. My goal weight for so very long has been 145 and I blew it out of the water. I knew what to do, but I just had to take a stand and declare that I was worth the temporary sacrifices I had to make. Like an investment in my future. I am so happy. I crushed the vacation expectation that you are meant to give up the discipline and eat whatever you wanna on vacation. No. I have worked way too hard for letting this go. So I stayed tough and accomplished 3 lbs. Makes me smile. Really, what I did was leap over that vacation weight crap. It's over. No more grip on my life. So, now gonna try for 4 more lbs...

Can I apply this same thing to studying and ultimately passing this exam? I hope so. I know I can to a certain point. From here, it's just a matter of doing it. How do I do this?

For so long, I thought I just needed to jump the hurdles. Just get enough strength to jump high enough to clear it. Then I'd "strength train" my emotions, etc. and land in the same exact place. Why? Because I was never changing where I'd land. Constantly limiting myself to what I thought I could accomplish. You can be strong enough to leap, but if you don't know you're meant for leaping and continue to jump your whole life, you waste away precious time and energy and never get anywhere. I have learned that you have to train yourself for leaping. Leaping is a scary thing and something that is not a natural impulse unless you have a reason to do so. Think about it...usually leaping is over something like a creek or something like that. Not something we have put in our way intentionally, and usually something that can be avoided b/c it's uncomfortable to attempt. Isn't it easier to just walk alongside a creek and try to find another way around it, then to actually leap over it and risk falling in and getting wet? I use this just a symbol. Think about applying it to life's challenges. I have recently given myself my own "creek" if you will. My dreams and desires in the form of what I want to do with my life. It has reached a point where if I don't learn how to leap, I will never get where I want to be going. I will just keep walking alongside the familiar stuff and never get to where I was created to lead.

I am now determined to leap. I wanna know what it's like to be landing in an entirely different location in my life.  Jumping is a vertical motion, while leaping is going enough distance (from one point to another) that you completly clear the hurdle that lies in your path and give yourself the ultimate chance for success. Once you leap, there's usually no going back to the point you were at before.  Sure, you'll land in unknown territory, but that's what's exciting.

So lemme rephrase this fear thing. I guess what I am scared of is the unknown territories that my life is meant to land on.  I have never been there! I guess if you think of it this way, life is a bit like a Louis and Clark Expedition. They knew there was something out there that was worth finding and exploring. They didn't know what exactly they were getting into, but because they took the leap and explored the dreams and desires they had in their hearts, and what came naturally to them, they accomplished much, including what they were created to do.

I am ready for my expedition. This is the beginning of a new thing. I hope the point I was trying to make came across clearly. I challenge you to leap, not just merely jump, through life.
So let's crack open the books and allons-y.