Seconds winding down on the clock, game on the line and the ball in your hand. That was the moment we all dreamed about. That chance to take a risk and come up big was worth laying everything on the line in that moment. Life holds the same chances for us to do something great. We have to be willing to take risks and leaps of faith to truly reach our potential. When we allow ourselves to become stagnated at a job or in a relationship, we limit our growth. The best things that have occurred in my life were the results of taking a leap of faith into unknown territory.

Did every leap of faith work out perfectly? No, of course not but by willing to try and explore new things I have found myself placed in better positions than I was before. The leaps that didn’t work out still carried a lesson for why they didn’t work out, a lesson that helped me learn and grow long beyond where I saw myself prior. Trust your gut, look through the options and make the most informed decision you can, don’t be afraid to take risks. I talked about fear in one of my earlier posts and overcoming that fear on the road to greatness.

One of the most dominate athletes in the last 3 decades in the game of basketball was Michael Jordan. One of his most famous quotes was about dealing with the failure that comes with taking that shot or that leap of faith. He says,” I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” And succeed he did 6 NBA championships and records galore; he found a way to win by not being afraid to take a risk. It is okay to fail as long as you take a lesson from it. Nelson Mandela is attributed to saying,” I never lose. I either win or I learn.”

This was taped up in my room growing up, I tried to live everyday by this principle. Some days were easier than others, but it helped to give me the inspiration and mindset to continue to put myself out there and to continue to reach for success. I was reading through articles and came across this one about how taking risks will lead you to a better life. A quote that stood out from that article was,” The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” — Stephen McCranie”. Keep trying keep failing and keep learning. The only way to go is forward and there will be days that it doesn’t seem as clear and that’s okay keep pushing!

You have to believe in yourself even if no one else does. Trust your gut and take a chance, the night you stayed at home and got a good night’s rest isn’t the story you will be telling your children. It will be the time you went out and had an adventure because you are willing to try something new. Not everyone needs to “free solo” climb up the side of half dome but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take chances. Life is too short to constantly worry, take a chance and you may discover a new passion you never knew you had. This week I want you to take a chance, try something new, maybe ask out that person you have been crushing on, or speak with your boss about that promotion you have been wanting. Go out and seize today by the horns because tomorrow isn’t promised.  Don’t be afraid to fail, take chances and live life to the fullest. I believe in you. You miss 100% the shots you don’t take so shoot your shot!