A Leap of Audaciously Bold, Fearless, and Courageous Faith
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My best friend has been talking about quitting her job for months. She’s not miserable, but she knows it’s not her best life – she knows she was destined for something completely different. She’s an artsy, dramatic type, and is constantly seeking fuel for that creative fire.We’ve had conversations over the past few months that have gone like this:
“So, where are you in planning your next step? Are you ready to move on yet?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I want to be confident I have something lined up, you know? But I don’t know if I can do this much longer. But… I can’t just quit. I need something lined up.”
Lather, rinse, repeat. Sounds like something you can relate to, right?
It’s time to jump.
Yesterday, she didn’t have anything lined up. She had ideas and plans and possibilities of things she’d like to do, but nothing that grabbed her firmly by the shoulders, shook and squared them, demanded, “OK. Take that leap now!”
Yet she did. Knowing there wasn’t any other option, and honoring her own truth, she put in her two weeks’ notice.
Within hours, she had a phone call from a casting director about an audition – this week. She knows the casting director because she has a meeting next month with a network producer about a screenplay she sent in months ago.
The second she made the decision to jump head first into the life she wanted, all of the little details and things she’d been working and hoping for in the background of what she felt she “had” to do, came barreling out from backstage to a position of front and center in her life.
That is not an accident.
You have to believe there is a net.
To me, the Art of Daring is taking the leap you can’t NOT take and trusting that the Universe (God, life, fate, whatever you subscribe to) will support you when you make decisions that are rooted deeply in your truth.
It’s that whole, “leap and the net will appear” idea. I believe that is the essence of the Art of Daring. It’s taking chances because you know you were meant to do something remarkable and legendary. It’s trusting that the net will appear – or that it’s always been there.
In my life, the Art of Daring moment happened in November, 2009. I knew I didn’t belong in that office, and I knew I wanted to work for myself and be able to work from anywhere. I wanted to write, to be creative, to help people, to explore, to teach, and to study. I also knew that wouldn’t happen if I stayed in the job I was in and thus, the career I was headed for. So, I quit. I gave notice, told my boss I was going to turn into a full-time freelancer and eventually a yoga teacher, and I packed my bags to move from Minnesota to Colorado.
Daring – (adj.) “bold or courageous; fearless”
It was a scary first step. By definition, “daring,” does not mean “makes a lot of sense,” or “will be easy to explain to friends and family,” or “accidentally fell into.” It means you’re choosing to do something that has real or perceived risks associated with it. Daring is making a bold, deliberate choice and proclaiming to the world:
“I get it! It’s risky! Now get out of my way so I can do this already!”
Honestly, the first couple of months of my self-employment were a struggle to make ends meet. Soon, I had one contract under my belt which turned into two. Which turned into three. Just over a year later, I have a functioning career built with clients who inspire me to be creative, to write, to be continually learning, and to connect people. I work from anywhere, which is exactly what I set out to do.
I’m living my dream because I decided that there was no amount of money that could keep me in a job that wasn’t daring – that didn’t let me become the woman, the writer, and the teacher I wanted to be. I took a giant leap right into every uncertainty, and wildly embraced that because it was crucial to me that I live my truth and no one else’s.
That, to me, is the Art of Daring.
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From the Post Series What Does The Art of Daring Mean to Me?We asked some of our favorite women to answering the question: “What Does the Art of Daring Mean to Me?”
Here are their answers:- You Only Get One Life
- The Heart of the Art of Daring
- Ask Forgiveness NOT Permission
- A Leap of Audaciously Bold, Fearless, and Courageous Faith
- Master Your Boldness 101
- What Daring is to Me
- Daring to Bake
About The Author
Doniree Walker
Doniree Walker is a blogger, editor, and social web strategist living in Portland, Oregon. She works with small businesses, media agencies, non-profits, and individuals who are looking to build community around their brand, website, blog, or lifestyle. She's on the business development team for 20-Something Bloggers and on the planning committee for the annual blogger un-conference, Bloggers in Sin City. Doniree believes firmly in champagne with breakfast, yoga as therapy, and that the people and connections in our lives are never accidents.
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