I have always admired the kids who jumped from diving boards. Fearlessly belly flopping into the water below and always coming up laughing. This was never me. To this day, I have never jumped from a diving board. Fear always kept my feet firmly on the ground. I remember encouraging my friends to conquer their fears and cheering for them as they rose up from the pool depths. I remember talking myself into the jump several times before ultimately losing the courage and climbing down. The fear of jumping still remains.

Fear is a survival instinct that keeps us from physical and emotional harm. Unfortunately, sometimes we allow fear to hinder us from living a truly fulfilled life. The jumps that I face today are much less physical. Sometimes I fear jumping into new change whether it be a relationship, location or job. At the end of the day, I’m still the girl sitting on the sidelines cheering as her friends jump, never intending to do the same.

Fear is the opposite of how God desires us to live. He wants us to live a fearless and fulfilled life. 2 Timothy 1:7. I feel like I have reached a time in my life where I want to be the type of woman who leaps whether it means I belly flop or I fall in gracefully. But how do we take leaps of faith wisely?

Prayer – Why not go to the One who knows and understands us fully? The One who has designed and planned our future so that jumps don’t become falls. Praying and waiting to hear back from Him is so important before making decisions. This may look like fasting for a period of time or asking a friend or family member to pray for you.

Honest Feedback – Whenever I’ve made poor decisions in the past, I have always had people warn me of the consequences before I leap. Pride and stubbornness made me ignore advice and hide bad decisions from the ones who loved me.

• I think it’s wise to request feedback from a person or two before making a major life decision.
• It’s important that both you and the person are honest. For example,it is tempting to hide the glaring flaw in the person you’re interested in or hide your financial situation when talking about purchasing a home or car.
• Being completely honest will allow someone to appropriately evaluate your situation and provide advice from a real perspective.

It’s equally important to have someone provide unbiased and honest feedback. Sometimes it’s best to talk to a counselor or someone detached from you and the situation to get the best advice.

Be Honest with Yourself : Sometimes fear makes me run away and I seek an out by jumping when I need to be facing what is already in front of me instead. Our lives should be about growth and sometimes growth means staying put until you’re ready. Be honest with yourself and check in with your emotional state. Make sure that you are running towards something not away from something else.

While I have always been a cheerleader on the sidelines, I am happy to say that I have always had people cheering me on as well. They always cheered me on to jump and always comforted me when I couldn’t. I have friends and family that have always and continue to believe in my ability to make leaps when I can’t even see it for myself. For that I am truly grateful.