It was last Monday.

I was sitting on the plane, trying to hang onto every moment of the weekend I had just spent with my family in Montreal. As the weekend flew by, I tried desperately to drink it all in, taking big gulps instead of small sips, knowing that each moment was becoming my past as quickly as it had once been my present and future.

Feeling exhausted but filled with love, I leaned my head back on the seat and glanced over at the wing on my right. We were still sitting at the gate, but I noticed the ice glistening off the wing in the winter sunlight.

“Shouldn’t we de-ice?” I thought to myself, feeling the familiar signs of worry in my stomach.

Soon thereafter, we started to taxi out to the runway. The closer we got to the runway, the closer we got to our takeoff spot, and the more it became clear that we were not, in fact, going to de-ice.

Naturally, as the fearful flyer that I am, I started to go into panic mode. I tried to stop the thoughts from forming, but I couldn’t help but think of that Malcolm Gladwell book about the Korean plane that went down because the first officer didn’t want to be rude and question the captain’s authority by telling him he thought they should de-ice. What if the same situation was happening on this flight? Canadians do have a reputation for being too polite, after all.

That thought racing through my head, my stomach raged with fright and completely made up worry. I started sweating in places I dare not say. I informed Ted of my latest fear and he reminded me that these people knew what they were doing. He went on to tell me that I needed to get out from under the illusion that I had any control over the circumstances of my death.

Ouch.

But let’s face it: oh so true.

As he spoke, I happened to glance over at his open book, the one he was reading before his neurotic wife rudely interrupted him. The book was still open and close to his face, at the ready in reading position. As I tried to avoid his eyes, I couldn’t help but read the next chapter title of his book:

“No Ice.”

Seriously? Come on.

I smiled to myself as I thought, “Thanks, universe. Thanks.”

I pointed this fun observation out to Ted when he was finished with his pep talk, to which he replied, “See? You must listen closely because the universe whispers.”

I love him. And I love the universe too.

Five minutes later, we were safe in the air. The take off was smooth, and the skies were too. And all that worry – all that anticipation of destruction – was all for nothing. All that suffering – it was all in vain.

As I wrote in my journal for the rest of our climb up to cruising altitude, I got to thinking about fearful flyers. The thing is, it’s the anticipation that causes all the suffering and anxiety. The fear of what could happen, and the subsequent visualization of it in the mind. It’s terrifying. And though it’s not technically real, the mind can see it, and the body can feel it, and so, it is real.

But the trick for us fearful flyers is to – like Ted said – give up the illusion of control. Because you have none on a plane! Once you buckle up that safety belt and the doors close behind you, you have nothing left to do but trust. And maybe watch a movie or read a good book.

Thankfully, I have never – nor do I plan to – let my fear of flying stop me from getting on a plane. I won’t let that happen, because deep down, I do trust the universe. And that trust is bigger than my fear. And when it’s my time to die, it’s my time to die. I’m just pushing for it to be in my sleep when I’m 104 or something like that. That would be cool with me.

Anyway, the more I thought about this trust, and this anticipation of potential destruction, the more I saw this playing out in my life, and the lives of others.

At present, I’m taking a pretty big leap of faith. For the first time, I am my own boss. No benefits. No guaranteed paycheck. Nothing. And the truth is: I’m terrified. Many things can go wrong. But I’m doing it anyway.

Because you know what? Many things can go right too. The take off could be smooth. But it also could be bumpy. The flight could be long, or it could be short. But the odds are that I will land safely in my chosen destination. It just might take me some time – and hard work – to get there.

Five years ago – heck, even one year ago – I couldn’t have done this. The anticipation of what could go wrong swallowed up any courage I had about seeing what could go right.

But not anymore.

And so I ask you this:

What’s holding you back – if anything – from taking a leap of faith and doing something you want to do?

Here are 5 things to help you take that first step:

Know that it’s going to be scary. Accept it. Embrace it. Be grateful that you even have the opportunity to choose to do it.

Find a support team. Friends. Family. An online group. Heck, even an extra-curricular activity to get your mind off things when the going gets tough.

Anticipate and plan. Make a plan. Set deadlines. Have an outline. Set goals. For example, if you’re leaving your job to start your own business, give yourself a certain time frame to get set up. You might tell yourself that you will save up $20K and leave your job by June 1, 2015. You might also say that you will get your first 1 to 3 clients before you leave your job. Whatever it is, just have a clear plan with clear goals and deadlines. Write it down, and try your best to stay on track.

Believe in yourself. Everyone started somewhere. Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs. Most people thought they were nuts and told them they would fail. And they did a few times, in fact. But look what happened: they eventually succeeded. Funny how that happens when you don’t give up…

Jump. You’ll never be 100% ready for anything. But you now have your support group, your courage, your self belief, and your plan. That’s as ready as you’re going to be. Now make like Nike and just do it.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, my dear friends. The skies won’t always be smooth but they will certainly be beautiful. And the journey will be worth the bumps along the way.

Your friend,
Lauren
xxx