Leap and The Net Will Appear

When I was a child, there was a climber at school where I loved to play. There was a cross bar that I stood on, and then I would launch myself into space to catch hold of an upper bar on the other side. As a child, that breathtaking open space seemed to yawn in front of me as I willed myself to jump- muscles bunched, hands reaching, stretching, leaning. The letting go of one place and reaching for the next seemed like an almost impossible act of faith.

Now, years later there have been many times when I have faced that yawning open space in my life. When wisdom and courage whisper “leap”, and fear cries, “But what if?”

Maybe you are facing a situation in your life where you feel that nudge, that internal push to make a change – to leave that job, to end that relationship, to sign up for that class, to slow down and be more present in your life. Big or small, taking the next step can feel daunting.

There is a saying by John Burroughs that I particularly like: “Leap and the net will appear”. There is something about taking that step that opens up the path. In truth, I have found that the path often does not really open up until one takes that first step. A new, healthy relationship cannot happen until you step away from the one that wisdom is telling you to leave. Waiting for the path to appear before you take that little step forward might not happen. This is the place for courage, faith and hope. This is the place for the next quavering step towards wholeness and healing.