The Best Bet You'll Make

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to blossom” – Anais Nin.

Few quotes mean more to me than this one. At the time that this quote first came into my life, I was going through a very difficult divorce. As with any major life event, questions and confusion swirled around me, making me question my own judgement more times than I cared for. I remember reading this quote and thinking, ‘THIS is why – change like this has to happen.’ The force of pushing us to be greater than we think we are -- to blossom – that’s the point of change, even when it’s incredibly difficult. 

I’ve gone back to this quote many more times since then, most recently in deciding to leave a successful career and start my own business. Terrifying, of course, but remembering this quote helped me to see that decisions like this have always been the straightest path toward growth for me. When I look back, I realize that some of my most difficult times have been remaining still when I should be driving forward. Sometimes the fear in that one moment – right before you jump -- is so potent that it keeps you standing there longer than you should.

What decisions have you paralyzed by fear? I am constantly reminded that the decisions I make out of fear lead to a worse outcome. Besides, staying put has its own risks, pains, and discomforts. Just because it’s a pain you’re familiar with doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Sometimes you just have to have a little blind faith in yourself and take the risk. Scary as it feels in the moment, betting on yourself is always the right decision.