I have recently faced a major life decision. A fork in the road, if you will. Doing absolutely nothing keeps me safe and comfortable. Yet, it also keeps me exactly where I am, doesn’t challenge me, nor does it grow me. But it is the path of least resistance. Did I mention safe and comfortable?
The alternative to playing it safe turns my world upside down in every imaginable way. There is a sense of anxiety that I feel when considering my options, or perhaps it is excitement? Whatever IT is, there is energy surrounding this option. Life giving energy. The possibilities are truly limitless. It is not safe, nor is it comfortable. It is risky!
I am not a Bible scholar by any means. However, as my mind was doing what it does best, which is overthinking (imagine an open book and the wind suddenly swishing through the pages to land on THE page) as clear as the New Mexico skies, I had my answer. The Parable of the Talents. For reference, if you are unfamiliar, you can find this parable in the New Testament of the Bible, Matthew chapter 25, verses 14 through 30 as well as Luke chapter 19, verses 11 through 27. To summarize, a master entrusts each of his three servants with a sum of money in his absence. The first was given 5 talents, the second was given 2, and the third was given one. Talents are equivalent to money. The first two invested their sums to increase their master’s return while the third buried his for safe keeping. Upon the master’s return, he was quite pleased with the first two servants for their wise use of the money resulting in interest gained. However, he scolded the third who had buried his for safe keeping out of fear of losing it. In my mind, I kept hearing, “Do not be like the third. Do not waste this opportunity. Do not bury this.”
Let me explain another facet of me not known by many. Although I have been known to take some extreme risks, it requires a great deal of mental cheerleading for me to arrive at the action step. I struggle with a scarcity mindset. Just a few days ago, I finally threw out some “quality” makeup that I had splurged on almost nine years ago! NINE-YEAR-OLD MAKE-UP! Ladies, we all know if I had used that, I would have ended up at the dermatologist with a serious infection. Not that I ever had any conscious intention to use it, but sub-consciously I was clinging to the probability that I MAY never be able to afford anything nice again. WOW! It is something I am quite aware of and have to do battle with often. It is deeply ingrained in me. Truth. My ugly truth. If you have ever hidden food in your toy box or under your bed - just in case, you might understand where this originates.
I KNOW in my heart that this is perhaps my most limiting belief. Yet, I still end up right back HERE at this crossroad time and time again. How do I (we) overcome this paralysis? We jump! Whatever it is, we face our fear and do it anyway. We let go of what we are holding onto with clinched hands so they can be filled with new make-up! We accept challenges. We invest what we have been given. WE DO NOT WASTE OUR TALENT! We release our talents into the world. We make ripples!
I have walked through fire LITERALLY ON PURPOSE, TWICE! I remember the exhilaration of looking back at the fire, knowing I came out on the other side of it better and stronger, but mostly with an increased zeal for life and living it well.
When we are feeling stagnant and uninspired, perhaps we are avoiding the fire! The challenge. The change. The new. The scary. The unknown.
I am right in the middle of all of THIS. I think if we are alive, we are all right in the middle of all of this. We have to decide daily to take blaze new trails, embrace new opportunities, and grow our “talents.” Fear should be our compass not our brakes. We must not choose the known over the fear of the unknown because the unknown may be the greatest that we have ever known.
Until Next Time,
C
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