Letting Go of the Ledge and Doing the “Thing” that Scares You the Most!

Inhale……. Exhale…… Inhale…… Exhale….. Inhale…. Exhale…. Inhale….. Exhale….

 

Why is it so hard to remember to breathe when you are afraid? Especially when you are making, what you consider to be a life-changing decision. You have told yourself a million times that it is all going to be okay, that your return on investment looks promising, that what you are about to do is so worth it, and so on and so on. Yet, that fear of the unexpected, the “what is yet to come,” permeates your entire body. It paralyzes you. It talks you out of all things that originally made sense to you. What is worse, is that fear holds you back. This fear of “letting go of the ledge” prevents so many of us from realizing our dreams, taking risks and ultimately being our best selves.

steep-59680_1280As I grip the ledge with both hands, peaking over the side and looking down into the air, I can only think, “I am not really sure what is at the bottom. I don’t know what I will face once I let go.” I know this level of fear all too well. I have been experiencing it for the last two years. When I was in my second trimester with my daughter, I decided I would take the path of starting my own business. This was not the first time I had set out on this path, but this time I was dedicated to seeing my decision all of the way to the end and beyond. I really wanted to be present during my daughter’s early years, while continuing to pursue my professional aspirations. I yearned for the flexibility to be with her whenever I wanted, while also having the independence of working at my leisure. Surprisingly to me, there was no fear when I shared my future career plans with my husband, when I wrote my resignation letter to my Board of Directors, and when I packed up the last box in my office. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of something new and refreshing on the horizon or maybe it was the hormones of the pregnancy. I am still not sure but I felt excited and anxious (in a good way) about what was yet to come. However, it’s funny how things have a way of finally settling in (the storm after the calm) when you realize what you have done. As my thoughts started to become a reality, the fear began to emerge. The fear of failure, but also the fear of success.

Instead of allowing fear to truly take a hold of me, I accepted it and used it to fuel my commitment to remain steadfast to my vision. I did whatever it took to conquer my issue (fear) and identified different strategies to help accomplish my goals. This is also my commitment to my clients – help them realize their vision, create solutions and achieve their goals. We all have fear at some point in our lives. Whether it is deciding to take a leadership position, pitch a new idea to fellow colleagues, or address thousands of community members with a new campaign to improve their health; the fear of the unknown and unexpectedness often exists. But in my opinion, facing that fear is a lot more fun than allowing it to take hold of you.

So friends, here I am. Doing the “thing” that scares me the most at this moment in my life. I am letting go of the ledge, baring my all and officially introducing you to my newest venture — The Penny Consulting Group. I am still not sure what lies ahead, but what I do know is that I ALWAYS land on my feet. Reach out to the Penny Consulting Group and we will help you land on yours too!