A Leap of Faith

"See what you can do when you put your mind to it and take a leap of faith..." Few lines capture our attention...and this little note from a friend of mine did just that. I was asked to treat it as a personal reminder that I have the ability to realize my dreams as long as I am willing to take a leap of faith and to work hard. All too often we dream big, but think small, and this action can stifle our progress of putting our plans into action.     When you think about it, it's pretty easy to dream and to follow our flights of imagination. We can easily allow our thoughts and imagination to fill in the gaps that follow sentences like, "What if . . .?" Such questions can lead us to write down ideas, make plans, draw maps and diagrams and visualize how things could be when we follow our dreams. In some ways, this thinking or imagining phase is the easy part. The more difficult step is actually trying to make things happen.      This active step is more difficult because we may fear failure or fear that others will find us foolish or crazy. Such negative thoughts can bring our dreams to a complete halt. It's sad to think that our own fears can actually keep us from realizing our dreams, especially when those fears are unfounded. I just want to clarify here that I'm not talking about that proceeding forward blindly or foolishly when pursuing our dreams. Putting dreams into action often requires determination, strategy, planning, and hard work.      If you have a dream you want to follow up on, do some thought work before you begin making it happen. Make a list of the pros and cons of going forward with your dream. If solid and clear negatives outweigh the positives, you may not be ready to forge ahead. But if the cons are more connected to fears, then it may be time to take a deep breath and plunge in.      The most important thing is to weigh the possibilities and decide your next step. How often have you had a dream you were hesitant about pursuing? Maybe it's time to make it happen. Listen to your imagination, take a leap of faith, and bring your dreams to life. And if a dream seems too far-fetched, put it aside for the time being and move on to the next one. All the best! Take the leap!