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Life can feel cruisy while you’re in a routine. You work the same job, see the same people, and do the same things. There’s no doubt that routine is comfortable and you feel secure because we know how everything works.
But sooner or later, you may feel a sense of unease creeping up, a voice telling you that spending your years caught in routine at the expense of personal growth is wasting away your life. This voice may begin as a whisper, but over time, it becomes inescapable.
This voice can urge us to make some drastic changes to our lives as long as we follow it… But is it worth taking a leap of faith and doing something that has such an uncertain outcome?
Well, it depends.
Let’s discuss if you should take a leap of faith and if the reward-to-risk ratio is a fair trade depending on your situation.
What Does It Mean to Take a Leap of Faith?
To take a leap of faith implies stepping into the unknown, often to pursue a new opportunity. It’s called a leap of faith because the outcome is uncertain and there is some risk involved, but you have faith that this new life venture will work out, which is why you embark on it.
Of course, sometimes it’s important to take a leap of faith because life tends to stay the same if you don’t. However, that’s not to say that taking a leap of faith is always the right option. Sometimes, the risk-to-reward ratio will not be worth the gamble.
I can’t tell you if your situation is worth it or not because I don’t know what situation you’re in. But I can give you some advice based on my own experiences.
Really, you need to rely on your instincts here and determine whether it’s fear holding you back or common sense. There’s a big distinction, and it’s important to know what’s what.
As a general rule of thumb:
- If it’s fear, usually it’s best to proceed
- If it’s irrational, it’s best to reconsider
But how can you tell the difference because fear can make things seem irrational? Well, you start by paying attention to your intuition. Your intuition is like your spiritual guidance system, and even though it can be dusty if you haven’t used it, learning to pay attention to it is the best thing you can do.
If you feel anxious, nervous, or scared about the decision but feel a deeper spark of joy when considering it, then it may be fear that you’re dealing with. If thinking about the decision doesn’t spark any sort of deeper emotional charge, then maybe it’s best to reassess the situation.
Just discern the difference between fear holding you back, and making a bad decision due to fear. Bad decisions are often the result of desperation. They’re impulsive and often not well thought-out.
For example, if you feel desperate to make a decision and change something up in your life, but perhaps aren’t moving to anything in particular, rather you’re escaping a situation, this might not be the best energy to act on.
On the other hand, if you truly desire a change and believe it’s the best thing to do for your personal and spiritual growth, then that’s a much better reason to act.
Ultimately, you want to make decisions that are in alignment with your higher self. If you think you should change your environment, career, or something in your life to better accommodate the person you are becoming, then this is a much stronger reason to act on because you have a deeper meaning behind the leap of faith.
That deeper meaning will drive you, and help you achieve the best outcome for the life transition. Remember, it’s always better to run towards something than to run away from it. So make sure you’ve got your priorities right, and we’ll look at how you can make this work.
Why Take a Leap of Faith?
When I was younger, I couldn’t handle the challenges life was throwing at me. I was unfulfilled because I wasn’t even close to the life I wanted to live, yet I was too afraid to pursue my dreams because, at the time, I thought I wasn’t capable of achieving the things I wanted.
Long story short, I went through a spiritual awakening and saw life with brand-new eyes. Now I had a decision to make; I could continue living the same stagnant life, which was familiar but painful, or take a leap of faith and step into the unknown.
It was daunting, but I knew that if I wanted to create a major change in my life, I had to take a leap of faith. So I moved to Brazil and spent a year backpacking South America. During this trip, I fulfilled so many needs that were previously unmet such as living an adventurous life, making great friends, and finally having a good dating life.
I could have stayed in Australia, which provided stability and security, but spending my life in the same set and setting was scarier than facing the fear and taking a leap of faith.
Instead of following the beaten track, I followed my heart. I moved to Vietnam to teach English and pursued a nomadic lifestyle. It has now been 8 years traveling the world, working various jobs, and constantly embarking on new adventures.
If I had never made the leap, my life would have taken a very different direction. That’s the thing… It’s easy to get complacent. It’s easy to stay in the same situations, which may be comfortable, yet unfulfilling.
When to Take a Leap of Faith
Taking a leap of faith is best when there’s a deeper intuition shining through because that intuition is your compass. Even if it’s difficult or scary, there might be a feeling that tells you that you need to do something because staying in your current situation is not good for your personal growth.
The desire to take a leap of faith may start as a whisper, but this voice gets louder and louder as long as you don’t ignore it (and maybe if you do). This voice may be telling you to quit your job and follow your dreams. It may be telling you to pursue the love of your life or to leave it all behind to start fresh in a distant culture.
But any big life change requires a leap of faith.
This is what makes them a risk because the result is uncertain. Maybe it will end up horribly, maybe it will end up being the best decision you ever made. You just don’t know until you do it.
If you’re determined to take a leap of faith, then you need to be willing to get out of your comfort zone and embrace the possibility of things going wrong. You may feel exposed, vulnerable, and disoriented at the beginning, and this is natural.
If you’re in a situation where you’re torn between decisions and not sure which path to take, take some time for yourself before making a decision. If possible, don’t just rush into it because you want to make big decisions with a clear head, think it through, and minimize the risk.
Decisions made from a place of pain generally aren’t good decisions. They’re not coming from your heart and could be an act of self-sabotage, which you want to be wary of. It’s more likely to be an impulsive decision if it comes from a place of pain rather than a well-thought-out decision that serves your highest interest.
Taking a leap of faith from a good place makes a world of difference. Therefore, think about what your incentive is and if you’re moving towards something or running away. Think about what feelings are conjured when you think about this decision. Does it inspire you or deflate you?
How to Take a Leap of Faith
Many times, I have relied on my intuition to find the best route to take. Sometimes, opportunities have presented themselves that just felt wrong, and I made sure to steer clear of them. Not every opportunity that presents itself is in your best interest, so be wary of it.
When I’m faced with a big decision, I have discovered a handy technique to help clarify which path is in my highest interest.
I think about what my higher self would do. This is the best version of myself who is walking my highest timeline. I visualize this version of myself and imagine what he would do if he were in my situation.
Therefore, think about what your higher self would do in your situation. To do this, imagine the best version of yourself that you strive to become. What does he/she look like? What experiences have they had? What characteristics and qualities do they have?
Now, imagine that your idealized version of yourself is in your position right now. What would they do? Visualize it, feel it, and model after it. By putting yourself into the highest timeline, you’re more likely to make the right decisions.
Be Strategic About Your Decisions
We can get quite woo when talking about taking a leap of faith. Most people will tell you to go for it! This is bad advice.
Don’t just do it. Plan for it, be strategic, and line up your ducks before making big life changes. Although you might not always be in the position to plan everything out, doing so mitigates the risk and will probably make the leap of faith a whole lot smoother.
Although you want to follow your heart, don’t leap into blind faith. You need to be somewhat calculated about what you’re doing and strategically think about how you can make the situation work out. Although you may have no control over the outcome, you need to be relatively grounded with your decision, considering you can’t take it back.
As with any venture into the unknown, there is a risk. You might regret the decision. Maybe the opportunity will fall apart mid-leap. Needless to say, risks are involved when you take a leap of faith, so do your best to mitigate the risks before you jump. Don’t leap unless it’s in the right direction.
Commit to the Decision
Once you know that the decision feels right to make and all lights are green, you need to commit to it. Fear can be a powerful force in this situation, and it’s too easy to back out due to fear which is why you need to reach a point where you whole-heartedly make the decision and follow through with it.
Now is the time to say that you are doing it, and start putting it in action. Once you have decided to commit to the decision, I suggest that you start moving things along quite quickly, otherwise fear might get the best of you. If you’ve already gone past the point of no return, then you will follow through.
It’s natural to feel a little out of place after you take a leap of faith. You might wonder if you made the right decision, and feel uneasy. This is a natural stage of acclimatizing to your new life situation, and understand that it will take some time to get into your groove.
But don’t worry, this is normal. Your commitment will keep you on track, knowing there is no going back now. Keep pushing forward and finding familiarity in your new life.
Have Faith That Everything Will Work Out
In my eyes, faith is priceless, especially when you’re stepping into the unknown. We tend to resist what’s happening when things get difficult, but resistance only creates more suffering.
Don’t resist where the universe is taking you, believing that everything will work out in the end. Sure, it may be a bumpy road, but have faith that it’s for the best and that, sooner or later, your life situation will look bright.
At the end of the day, everything is an experience, regardless of what label you give the experience. If you experience life with a growth mindset, there are no bad decisions, only different decisions.
With this mentality, you can’t lose, even if everything goes wrong. At the end of the day, your story is still being written, and you will get back on your feet. I’m not saying that you should anticipate things going wrong, but if you’re challenged, look at the opportunity within it.
Final thoughts
It’s important to be calculated and to give some serious thought to any big decision you make in your life. But keep in mind that sometimes it’s best to move forward in life, even if it’s daunting.
Let’s recap:
- Discern if the decision is to go towards something or run away from it
- Follow your intuition and let it guide you
- Be strategic and don’t make a life-altering decision on blind faith
- If you decide to take a leap of faith, commit to the decision and follow through
- Have faith that everything will play out how it’s supposed to
Taking the leap of faith into the unknown can transform your life in ways you are unable to yet anticipate, and redirect the trajectory of your life. I often hear people regret not taking a leap of faith and jumping on an opportunity that they were afraid to pursue, and I seldom hear people regret taking the leap into the unknown, so that should tell you something.