Mar 2, 2013

Take The Leap

Take The Leap

I am three hours away from leaving my hometown on a one-way ticket to Asia. My small carry-on, sitting in the corner of my bedroom, has been packed for weeks. I told my girlfriend that I had packed it because I was so excited to leave, but if I’m being honest with myself, a large part of why I packed early was because I was afraid of leaving and I had hoped that the packed bag would convince me that I wasn’t.

My cell phone has been disabled and put into storage, I’ve attended all of the going-away parties, and there’s nothing left to do but get on the plane.

Thoughts race through my mind at a rapid pace. What if I hate it there? What if this is the last thing I need right now? What if I’m homesick the entire time?

I take a deep breath, the wind in my lungs dissipating my worries.

Fuck it. Take the leap.

TakingLeap

What call are you afraid of making in your life?

Is it time that you ended a relationship with an old friend? Do you need to leave your partner because you know she isn’t the one for you? Do you hate your job?

You have a few decades left to live… are you going to spend them being miserable? Maybe miserable is too strong of a word, but your life is calling for some drastic action right now.

At a certain point, after you analyze, prepare, and decide what you need to do, you just need to take the leap.

The decision is obvious, but the reality is terrifying.

We all experience that. As men, we are often afraid to admit uncertainty or weakness in any form. I experience nervousness, fear, and uncertainty just as much as any other guy (maybe even more because I am so relentless with myself about becoming self-actualized). There is nothing more normal than fear. There is a quote that I love that goes, “The more personal, the more universal”. It’s basically saying that every little thing that you think that no one should ever find out about you (because it is SO embarrassing) is a sure sign that everyone experiences that same feeling. And probably on a frequent basis.

What is not normal, is having your life be run by fear. Some fear is healthy, an over-abundance of fear is damaging and limits your entire life in every way.

See that girl you’re attracted to? Go talk to her. You don’t know what to say? Start with “Hi”. Then go from there.

You know the job that you feel stuck in and you dislike so much? You can leave it. You can find another job. That other job might have to pay less for a while, but guess what, you’ll be happy again.

Do you feel like a lot of your friends don’t really have your best interests at heart? Stop hanging out with them. The great thing about living in a world with seven billion people is that you can choose to make new friends. Sounds good right? Try it out!

So what call are you not making in your life?

As scary as it may seem, you will probably grow from it… just as I am about to grow by moving to Asia for a while.

Is it scary?  Absolutely.

Is it worth it?  Always.

Take the leap.

(Ps. As I write these words I am now two months in to my travels and have already grown so much as a person (and wrote three books). I took the leap and it was worth it. Like it always is. I’ll be posting a video of my travels soon)

(Update: Here is the video that I alluded to… my first month traveling/scuba diving/rock climbing through Asia – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n58ZgCy76g )

Me, taking a leap in Thailand

Me, taking a leap in Thailand

Jordan Gray
About Jordan Gray

Jordan Gray has been a sex and relationship coach for over 15+ years, with his work reaching over 200 million people worldwide. His writing has been featured in Vogue, GQ, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and countless other publications around the world. When he’s not working with 1-on-1 coaching clients or writing a new article, he’s most likely to be found reading, chopping wood, or spending time with his wife on a little island off the west coast of Canada.

Blog

Related

See All
No More Settling
Mar 15, 2017
Jordan Gray
No More Settling
Seriously. That’s it. From today onwards, you're making a vow... No more settling in your love life. No more settling for partners that don’t inspire you. No more settling for partners that you don’t truly respect. No more settling for partners who you don’t absolutely love having...
Continue Reading
5 Signs That You Are Truly Living
Sep 17, 2013
Jordan Gray
5 Signs That You Are Truly Living
Are you truly living? Have you ever blown out the candles on your birthday cake and thought to yourself, "Another year already?" There is a big difference between living your life, and feeling alive in your life. If you're simply living your life, you’re probably used to monotony. Life...
Continue Reading
29 Things I’ve Learned In 29 Years
Apr 21, 2016
Jordan Gray
29 Things I’ve Learned In 29 Years
At the time of my writing this, my 29th birthday is a few days away. 29 laps around the sun... and I feel like I have experienced a fairly densely packed ride so far. I've struggled, I've conquered, I've travelled, I've felt, and I've loved. The following collection of words flowed through me in one...
Continue Reading
Your Body Is A Miracle
Oct 8, 2017
Jordan Gray
Your Body Is A Miracle
Right now, in this very moment, your body is breathing for you. Your body is delivering vital nutrients to different parts of itself that it needs to function. Your hair, nails, and skin are all regenerating without your conscious thought being involved. Your body is an absolute miracle. But you don’t...
Continue Reading
4 Things I Learned In 4 Years Of Running My Online Business
Jan 20, 2017
Jordan Gray
4 Things I Learned In 4 Years Of Running My Online Business
January 26th, 2017 is this website’s fourth birthday. Four whole years! If this website was a person it would be walking, talking, and beginning to form its own opinions about the world. It would also pee itself every now and then. I could take this analogy in a lot of different directions, so I’m going...
Continue Reading
The One Thing A Man Needs In Order To Commit To A Relationship
Feb 22, 2020
Jordan Gray
The One Thing A Man Needs In Order To Commit To A Relationship
How do you get a strong, high quality man to want to commit to you? Not many guys are able to put this into words themselves. But they intuitively know there’s one thing they need, above all else, in order to feel deeply, fully committed to a relationship. It goes far beyond anything...
Continue Reading