“Living rationally and authentically means understanding that life centrally involves making leaps of faith, both small and large, and that the value of living is to a large extent the value of experiencing your life, whatever that experience is.” L. A. Paul
Happy Monday!
I hope your weekend was relaxing and you found time to enjoy fun activities. We had another taste of summer, and I think nature is either teasing us or gently preparing us for what’s coming. Some of us are very excited about taking out the blankets and quilts to snuggle in the cooler evenings, but it was nice to have a couple of warmer times to enjoy some dining al fresco!
Work was challenging this week. I’m not gonna lie. Maybe it was the same for you. I was thinking about exploring something new but kept holding back because I wasn’t sure if I was prepared enough to add a new dimension to my life. Examining my motives, thought processes, and emotional responses was fun ~ sorta. Ultimately, I had to realize that the biggest block was fear of the unknown.
Now, I’m not particularly averse to taking chances. I’m somewhat of a rouge when it comes to trying new things. But this particular challenge made me a little afraid. I wanted some assurances that I would be successful before I was willing to engage.
Perhaps you’ve been in the same or similar position. We have a feeling based on logic and intuition that an experience would be good for us or that we would succeed. A small voice demands yet another look at the expense of time and energy versus the outcome. It’s almost like we’re looking for ways to talk ourselves out of whatever we’re trying to do, feel, or experience.
Suddenly, we find ourselves in a circular argument, and no one’s winning! That’s when it’s time to consider what’s holding us back and if we’re delaying the inevitable or keeping ourselves from a new success due to fear of the unknown. Is it time to take a leap of faith?
This quote from L. A. Paul, an American professor of philosophy and cognitive science, talks about it here:
Wait. Did she just say taking a leap of faith is rational and implies authenticity? Mind-blown! When you think about it, though, the author is on to something. Life is filled with opportunities to live on the edge of safety and experience things that may bring us to a higher level of understanding. The idea leads me to believe that when we encounter possibilities, leaps of faith may expand not only our experiences but also our worldviews and perspectives.
There’s a lot about faith and leaping in Scripture. My favorites are:
“…if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20b
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.” Luke 6:23
It would be awesome to move the mountains in our lives by applying the leaps of faith approach. If we were fearless in the attempt and used logic and wisdom from our previously collected experiences, we’d remember we’re adequately equipped for the unknown. We might even be successful and open new possibilities that we hadn’t imagined before. Sounds like a winning approach to me.
Let’s reconsider the opportunities dancing in our minds this week. Maybe there’s a project we’re considering that might stretch us a little. We might need to revisit an old mindset, inventory our capabilities, and launch into a new exploration of our inner motivation. Perhaps opening up to someone or closing a chapter is in our best interests. Whatever the situation, it would benefit us to take an informed look at where we need to be fearless and take those leaps of faith!
Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda
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