Leaving Safety

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”
-William G.T. Shedd

Think BIG. Go for it. Follow your dreams. That’s what all the career-guidance books tell me. Think big and do big and don’t look back, don’t get caught up in minutiae. And that’s what I’ve always wanted – to just “go for it.”

It’s funny to think about, the people who know me well tell me that that is what I’ve always done – that I do just “go for it.” And I understand why they say that – I started my own business when I was 25, I left a high paying job to go get my masters degree, I moved my family to a small town even when we lived in what many consider utopia, we took off for the summer to live in Costa Rica… I get it – we do take risks and we do enjoy the fruits of life due to our willingness to “go for it.”

Yet, I myself think about what else, what other dreams have I not yet conquered. There are many I have, and many more risks required to get there. And, despite my willingness to try new things, that there are limits to my risks, cautionary flags I continue to heed, and more that I want to pursue… if only.

This last year has been an awakening for me on thinking about what I really want to do, and moving down the path. What is my “if only…”? For me, my if only has to do with the desire to feel fulfilled in my career – to do what I love each and every day. I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about what that might be. I’ve come up with lots of possibilities. I’ve gotten in tune with my passions, what excites me, and what kind of tasks I enjoy most. I love to collaborate, inspire people, and work within a team, for example. I love to paint, to write, and to express myself creatively. I want to help others, especially girls, young women and mothers, who want to break out from their shell, or the obstacles they see, and take the risks and fulfill their dreams as well.

As I follow this path towards a new career, I am constantly running into barriers, fears, and dangers. I am sometimes totally believing in myself and sometimes totally second guessing myself. My biggest fear – I can’t follow through, I can’t move past the obstacles. Then I tell myself, that is what I do best – I set a goal and I go for it.

So why is this any different than the other risks I’ve taken? Why is heading towards a new career or business plan any more worth my worry?

If I am honest with myself, it is because I have safety right here. I have safety in a good job, a good career, and good money. And that is not a good enough excuse. I must push through, I must let myself be vulnerable, and possibly fail. I must not let fear get in my way. I must go for it.

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.”
– William James