What if I fall? - Oh but my darling, what if you fly?

'When you take the chance to go after your dreams, when you take the risk, sure you may fail. But what if you fly? What if you succeed? What if you do better than you have ever imagined? What if you impact and change lives? What if the world is different in a better way because of you?'

Why is the thought of change and uncertainty so terrifying? I learned about the Diagram of Learning and Growth a few years ago and I have applied it to damn near everything except where I feel it should have always been applied - to me and my personal life. If you can get out of the Fear Zone, you get to the Learning Zone but you're not out of the woods there. The Learning Zone is where you are faced with reality based challenges and not the superficial challenges you face in the Fear Zone and that is when most people retreat back to their Comfort zone. The Comfort Zone is safe and predictible but it is also your ceiling. I borrowed the diagram below from an article by Unabridged and I linked the image to their article on leadership. (Full transparency, I didn't read it to so if you do choose to read it, please do so at your own risk. I'm sure it's probably great though.)

I'm currently ping ponging between my Fear Zone and my Learning Zone of upcoming changes but finally venturing further, more frequently into the Learning Zone.

My best friend will probably laugh reading this because she recently gave me advice that it took her saying three separate times for me to actually HEAR it.

This brings me to a couple 'Ah ha!' moments....

1. Context... People will only be able to understand based on their own level of experience. Some people may not ever understand or support decisions because they are unable to understand a situation or decision that you are making from the well worn shoes you are currently standing in.

2. Listen with your ears and not with your brain... When someone is giving you advice or suggesting solutions - LISTEN with an open mind and be grateful they care enough about you to share. It might be crap and you can decide that later and forget all about it but it also might be gold that you miss out on because you’re standing in your own damn way.

3. Surround yourself with people that feel like sunshine... You know those people that fill your cup by just being in their presence. They recharge you. Keep them always.

4. Sometimes being 'selfish' isn't actually being selfish... Bottom line, all of our days here are numbered and we never know when our number is going to be called. Celebrate good health, celebrate being alive. Decide the legacy you want to leave behind for you children. I have always wanted to be remembered for kindness, warmth and grace. I'll tell ya, that grace part is like highway construction.... ALWAYS work in progress.

5. Your job can replace you, your child cannot... I don't think there is anything more that really needs to be said about this one.

6. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That is where the magic happens.

7. Brave mamas, raise brave babies.

Last night Ronnie and I took a walk to the lake and tonight we sat on the beach and had a takeout dinner picnic. We will never have this day and he will never be this little again. Study their little faces, hold their little hands. Today is a gift. Appreciate the charms of the present...