Leap of Faith

My son has planted watermelon and pumpkin seeds in small pots, and he checks them every day, watching carefully for some small green sign of life, a sprout bursting forth from the dirt. But I've told him, planting anything, whether it is a seed, a seedling, or an actual plant, requires a leap of faith. It requires believing there is magic lying hidden within a seed. It requires believing.

Being bold can be a small thing, like having the faith and perserverance to plant a garden, or it can be something larger, like believing in a dream that seems impossible. Being bold requires knowing that you might not end up with the result you are hoping for but that the chance you will be successful is worth the risk that you won't.

Life is not an 'all or nothing' course that we set off on, certain of the destination before beginning a journey. We can't have knowledge of the outcomes of our leaps of faith until we actually take them, no matter how large or small!

An 'all or nothing' attitude suggests a deep-rooted need for control, one of those twin devils that keeps us from being bold. It means we won't take a leap of faith unless we know for certain what will happen, or that we can control what will happen through our actions. But just like the seeds my son has entrusted to the soil, we have to believe it will be okay. We don't have to understand what magic lies within a seed in order to enjoy a harvest. We just have to believe the magic is there, waiting for us to unlock it.

Next time you pass an oak tree, pick up an acorn from the ground, and remember the magic of another oak lies within that tiny shell.

Start small. Dream big. Be bold.