August, 2007: You could call it a leap of faith!

Written and published by: Dr. Toby Silverton & Dr. Bev McLagan
                                      Silverton McLagan Coaching

Personal Reflections

Well, we are once again perched on the edge of a leap of faith. Feels like any of those moments, a combo of nervousness, anticipation, exhilaration, doubt and knowing. Makes us reflect on dreams, plans, happiness.

When we set out 4 years ago to redesign life, we were excited and optimistic about the big change…or maybe we should call it one big leap of faith. Sure it was intimidating, giving up a private practice that had taken at least a couple of decades to build, giving up the office environment and all the usual day to day structure. However, back at the ranch, life happened. Those same last few years turned out to be one crisis after another, big ones, small ones, life shocking ones. So many, so fast that we were left to rely on our own best coping advice – just put one foot in front of the other, don’t look up and remember to breathe. We didn’t say it was sophisticated advice we just know it works. So what has all this got to do with now?

What are we thinking about?

Looking back we realize that something pretty amazing happened even when life “got in the way”. Our life redesign took hold and we are happy. This surprised us more than you know. Not the being happy part, but how amidst all the turmoil, the loss, the grief, the stress, the delays, the not knowing…we arrived where we wanted to be. Naturallly, not everything turned out just the way we imagined or planned. Luckily, however, we stopped believing in, and striving for, perfection years ago ‘cause have you noticed that life doesn’t lend itself to perfection?

So how did we land here? Lots of people said to us at the time of the big change, “wow you are so lucky”. Luck had nothing to do with it, simply stated, we took a risk. We had an idea of the destination, we still don’t know if it will be the ultimate end point. We had a direction, but didn’t plan all the stops along the way. We developed a map, but didn’t always see the signposts.

A lot of people are afraid to look too far into the future, afraid to acknowledge their dreams, or don’t believe that they are capable of taking a big risk. More and more we hear that in fact that is what many of you want: a new dream, a different direction, more happiness, deeper satisfaction, new challenges, more time to laugh and love. Just yesterday a client threw a dream out there, she would love to retire. This may not be able to happen tomorrow or even next year, but it will happen someday, so why not begin to plan for a leap of faith.

Amongst the Big Things that life has taught us is that change happens with you or without you, but the best change happens when you are actively moving through your life. Not a lot of growth happens when your life is static or stuck…you don’t see the changes in the neighbourhood unless you get out walking! It’s been a good exercise to reflect on this aspect of living because we are about to take a leap of faith again.

Shortly after you receive this newsletter our next life adventure will begin. This time we will begin living that dream in London, England. This may be our retirement dream or perhaps a new work dream. Like before, have an idea of the destination don’t know the actual end point, certainly don’t know all the stops along the way and definitely haven’t filled in all the details, but the dream is alive, we have the will and the faith and we’re taking that first leap.

We may still be in the middle of living the current life chapter, but haven’t you ever wanted to just peek ahead into the next chapter to see where it might lead? We’ll keep you posted from the many unexpected stops along the way.

Building solutions

10 key points to planning your leap of faith.

1. You just need an idea…a “wouldn’t it be great if” kind of idea.

2. Put together a loose description of your potential destination.

3. Start before you know all the details.

4. Calculate your own level of risk taking, then double it. You are more resilient than you think.

5. Do, instead of worrying and thinking.

6. Decide your very first small step, than take it.

7. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You will.

8. Don’t wait for guarantees. Life doesn’t come with a warranty.

9. There will be doubters. Ignore them.

10. Keep faith with yourself.

Till next month…live life like you mean it! Cheerio!

© 2003-2007 Silverton McLagan Coaching. All Rights Reserved

Resources – quick links to check out resources
(Clicking on the red underlined words allows you to instantly purchase all books online, without leaving your chair!)

• Learn to Say No, Fast! (2006) Toby Silverton, PhD. and Bev McLagan, PhD. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving, this one will last you a lifetime.
  http://www.livethesolution.com/products.html

• The Burnout Trap: Bounce Back from Over-Busy, Over-Tired and Overwhelmed! (2005) Toby Silverton, PhD. and Bev McLagan, PhD. http://www.theburnouttrap.com

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