At the end of last year, I chose “Courageous” as my quality that I want more of for 2013 (See: The World Hasn’t Ended, NowWhat?) So I was drawn to the following writing by David Whyte.
“The Courageous Step”
Why is it so difficult to take the first, necessary, close-in, courageous step to claiming our happiness in life? Perhaps, because taking that step immediately leads to a kind of radical internal simplification, where, suddenly, large parts of us, parts of us that had been kept gainfully employed for years; parts of us we thought absolutely necessary to the story, are suddenly out of a job.
There occurs in effect a massive form of internal corporate downsizing, where the naysayers in us that do not wish to participate are let go, with all of the accompanying death-like trauma, and where the last fight occurs, a rear guard disbelief that this new, less complicated self, is equal to the new possibilities ahead.
It is always hard to believe that the courageous step is so close to us, that it is closer in than we could imagine, that in fact, we already know what it is, and that that step is simpler, more radical than we had thought: which is why we so often prefer the story to be more complicated, our identities equally clouded by fear and the answer safely in the realm of impossibility.”
~David Whyte
Why Is This So Hard?
I love his question “Why is it so difficult to take the first, necessary, close-in, courageous step to claiming our happiness in life?” Because it is so true. Sometimes we know exactly that we need to take a step to make the change we want. But that step seems oh so hard.
The conclusion is right on, too: “We so often prefer the story to be more complicated, our identities equally clouded by fear and the answer safely in the realm of impossibility.”
When I really dig down deep and ask myself why I am making things more complicated than they need to be, I find that the answer is ultimately: fear.
It feels safer to believe that what we want isn’t really possible or it is too difficult. That way we don’t have to risk failure or disappointment.
Yet what do we give up by not taking that courageous step? If the answer is “happiness”, is that a price you are willing to pay?
Manuela loves helping mid-level professionals create a career and life they love. You can sign up here for her monthly newsletter with helpful tips and course announcements.