I Must Have Been Crazy!

I Must Have Been Crazy!

 “Welcome to Seattle- Tacoma Airport.  Local time is 11:05 am.  The current temperature is 5 degrees.”   FIVE DEGREES!  The rest of the flight attendants' messages were drowned out by my thoughts. “What was I thinking?!!”  What’s a guy from Hawaii doing in Seattle on a day when it’s 5 degrees?  “Did I really just leave everything I’ve known to move here?”   I was about to get off  the plane, to meet someone I barely knew, that I had met 3 months ago, on an isolated beach in Kona. “Come to Seattle!”, they said   I had a one-way ticket and  about $300 in my pocket.  I knew exactly TWO people in a city of over 8 million humans.  “Have I done the right thing?”  That thought raced through my mind like a runaway train. I was scared out of my mind, but at the same time, I was also excited. The combination of fear and exhilaration not only felt foreign to me, it didn’t make sense.  I took a breath, and stepped off the plane. 

 Uncertainty is a part of life, of all of our lives.  

 Uncertainty is about making decisions and it’s about change.  We humans, as a whole, are often terrified of change. So much so, that simple decisions put us into a tailspin. Everything’s a life or death struggle. Fear of change is buried so deeply in our psyche, it’s like being on a runaway train that’s out of control.

 So what can you do? You have to slow down the train first, before you can stop it.

 The simplest way is to take a breath!  I know it sounds too easy, but it’s true. Feel your breath move through your body. Make it as “physical” as you can.  You may notice you’ve been holding your breath. Breathe as deeply into your body as you possibly can.

 Stepping out of uncertainty and embracing change is a muscle that needs to be flexed and exercised repeatedly so it can get stronger.  I promise, your ability to slow down and stop the train will get easier.

   You can teach yourself to navigate change with focus and commitment. As your self-awareness increases, your ability to respond and not react will become easier. And one day, you’ll find yourself changing tracks and  getting on a different train instead.

That blind and headlong jump I took was almost 11 years ago.  I’ve looked back and questioned that decision so many times, I’ve lost count.  I’ve also celebrated that leap of faith even more.  I haven’t, for a minute, regretted the choice I made.  I couldn’t even imagine my life now NOT having made it. As a result,  the magic that I have witnessed in the past 11 years is more than I could ever have dreamed. 

 It’s time to step into your magic and Inner Strength, so YOU can move from uncertainty into joy and wonderment. And if the Fear Train starts to roll, just take a breath, slow down and trust.