Making decisions about your career and your next best steps is like standing on top of a cliff.
It seems really scary. It’s a long way down.
You can’t really see what’s at the bottom, but you suspect there are rocks. You’d really like to avoid the rocks.
Other people confirm your fears. They tell you that you can’t just step off the cliff.
“That’s way too dangerous.” “No one does that.”
On the face of it, that seems like sensible advice.
It does seem that if you stepped off the cliff, you would plunge to your death on the rocks below.
Some people tell you about a path.
The path is safe. It will get you down off the cliff.
They may have taken the path. They may be willing to guide you down the path.
Look! Lots of people are taking this path.
You try the path or at least start. You don’t feel right about it. It doesn’t seem to be leading where you want to go.
Maybe you realize that you don’t even want to end up where the path leads….
What if you really could just step off the cliff?
What if you are an eagle?
What if your real fear is that if you stepped off the cliff you would discover you can fly?
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Are you letting fear drive your decisions?
Edited April 4, 2016. Re-edited October 2023. Added to the Spotlight On: Imposter Syndrome in November 2023.
I can confirm, however, that it most definitely feels like plummeting to your certain doom.