10 January 2021
In my life, when I notice that my decisions require practicing faith (a deep trust that it will all work out), the rewards seem to be greater. This can be a tricky slope to navigate. You don’t want to play “chicken” with life, and “live on the edge.” That’s foolish. But there is something about high-stakes action, deeply rooted in a peaceful faith, that yields amazing bounty. It’s as if the universe likes us to recognize improbability, but to take action in spite of this. There are countless stories of individuals that “risked it all” because they knew that they had to do this or that. That kind of risk hasn’t happened to me very often, but there were times in my life where I knew I just had to do something, even if on the surface, it seemed risky. My mind knew that the odds were against me, but my heart “knew” I couldn’t lose. That’s a beautiful precipice over which to jump, and it’s not scary at all. It’s peaceful to live that kind of faith.
I often wonder if life was meant to play it safe, or if raising the stakes is better. I’m not referring to raising the stakes for a cheap thrill. I’m talking about raising the stakes to prove that your fear is unfounded. Life often beckons us to deeply trust in its abiding provisions. You don’t have to take a giant leap of faith – just a step will do. Raising the stakes, like anything, is a skill that takes time to develop. And in that skill, you’ll learn that you don’t have to be afraid of anything. You can trust in life, and you can trust in it deeply. So go on, raise the stakes – what do you have to lose? Probably not anything you have to be fearful of!