I’ve always been one to take major risks without a surefire plan. I’ve been very good at following what feels right intuitively, and making a situation work for me after diving in headfirst. So when an opportunity arises for me, I tend to take it as a sign and say yes to everything. I get my kicks from taking huge, scary chances on myself. I’m a bit of a gambler with life—which isn’t to say that I’m always confident and absolute with the choices I make. The reason it always works out for me, is the fact that I take leaps of faith instead of following my “fate.”
The difference between taking a leap of faith and letting fate be your guide as you walk through life is the amount to which you feel in control. A leap of faith feels grandiose, terrifying, and unsure. In my case, it often lights a fire under my ass, and I get extremely resourceful, confronting every aspect of the situation to see how I could possibly turn a question into a success story. In contrast, fate is a sort of double-edged sword that can almost corner a person into thinking that no matter their action, they will inevitably end up in the same place (so why try, right?). I’m not a fan of the concept of fate for this reason.
A few months ago, I took a giant leap of faith and switched career paths. I was in the Navy, not necessarily unhappy, but definitely unaligned and unfulfilled by the work I was doing. I knew I was cut out for more, and my skill set could be utilized so much more effectively elsewhere. I still get chills thinking about the way it unfolded—as my contract was wrapping up, I knew I needed to start looking towards my next step. I had four months left of active duty, and the I was out on my own. Making my own decisions again. With the pressure of finding a job. I was scared, but not desperate. I decided one night that the opportunity would come to me in divine timing, and all I had to do was be open to anything, essentially. No expectation, no demands.
The next night, it was there. The move. The opportunity. I was mindlessly scrolling through instagram, and I found someone I’d gone to high school with, who was living her absolute best life, traveling full-time and making a more-than-substantial living for herself by running an online business. I reached out (leap of faith #1) to ask her how she was doing this, how she had strayed so far from the norm and was really making it happen. She answered, I invested in myself (LOF #2) and started up my own. I decided that this was going to be it for me, that it was going to happen and success would unfold for me, as long as I showed up.
A month or so later, it was announced that there would be a business retreat in Maui, Hawaii, and that there would be almost 200 spots for people to come who were also business owners, entrepreneurs, globe-trotters, and manifestation wizards. The tickets were about to go on sale, I was about to be out of work, and I knew without question that I had to be there. I bought a ticket to the event within the first 30 seconds that they were live, and a flight two weeks later (LOF #3).
Last week was the event. My military career ended two weeks prior (divine timing, yet again) and without a steady paycheck coming in, I was about to go to Hawaii to meet a bunch of strangers and mastermind about business on the beach. Sounds crazy, I know. But something told me that hopping on the plane was the start of a massive projection into growth and a catalyst for the success I was looking to attract into my life.
And it was.
I totally transformed. I have never been so motivated, inspired, and moved in my life as I was on that island, surrounded by strangers who turned quickly into family. The generosity and gratitude were off the charts, and the collective energy was at such a high vibration that it was almost impossible not to be submerged in such a state of bliss and alignment. We spent the week growing businesses, climbing waterfalls, doing yoga, breathwork, and connecting. We shared stories, tropical fruit, laughter, and fears. We swam in the ocean and drank wine and reflected while the sun set. We hiked volcanoes and picked guava straight from the trees, acknowledging how provided for we were. We meditated, danced, and released intentions to a higher place. We all went through a sort of metamorphosis, together, and as I boarded my flight back to the mainland I realized, fuck, I will never be the same again.
While I love to live life on more of a whim and follow what feels right intuitively, it’s often difficult for me, and as someone prone to anxiety, I have had to really get down and dirty with my relationship with fear. It’s taken a lot of work, but I love where we’re at right now. I acknowledge my fear and respect it for trying to protect me, but I am also firm and don’t allow it to drive my decisions. We can walk hand-in-hand, but I call the shots. We’ve agreed that things are working out best-case scenario, and that life is always better when lived BIGGER. Living in fear is living small. Using fate as guidance is a cop-out. And leaps of faith always get you further than little, scared steps. It has led me into an incredible reality thus far.
Xx,
Anna