Be a verb. Live your life in action, not in thought. Picasso said it best "Action is the foundational key to success". Now do not get me wrong, the mind is a beautiful thing, and we all know what happens when we waste it. But thought cannot get us to jump over the edge of our fears into the great unknown, quite the contrary it's purpose is to attempt to talk us down. A leap of faith, making the jump with the absolute knowing that we will land on both feet, and somewhere between the actual step off the cliff and before the splat of hitting ground, there is clarity. And that action opens up new opportunities and adventures that the mind could never imagine sitting on it's own.

I have on my bulletin board a quote by some beautiful soul whom I would give credit to if I knew who it was, it is one of my daily guides. "When you come to the edge of all that you know, you must trust that you will either be given ground to walk on or wings to fly." The image of the cliff and my set of wings gives me courage to step, to live fearlessly and with great passion. It fills my being with possibility, and gives me comfort that all is indeed well, all the time.

I loved the flying leap when I was little, I took many a chance that seemed crazy to my sibs and friends, and most especially my parents. I did have a following who knew me as the local daredevil, and I have to say, I enjoyed the celebrity. The absolute faith that I had then, the faith of which we are all born with, allowed me to attempt feats that probably would have harmed me if I had stopped to think about what I was attempting. We won't talk about the broken arm...or the black eye.... But I did not stop and think, I only knew that there was something thrilling to be experienced, and I followed my heart into the abyss of adventure.

The absolute faith that I had then is what I tap into now, when the fears that life experience has layered on me and have dulled my senses, cause the voice of ego to overtake my heart. I have learned I can quiet that voice, to acknowledge that it is attempting to save me from myself, and then open my heart to learn what it truly is that will bring me new joy. This is the magical moment when knowing that action taken brings us to a new understanding of ourselves and shows us what we are really capable of.

For some people, this is a magical habit they never lost in the transition from child to adulthood, Steve Irwin is one great model of this, and although his life ended sooner than many of us think it should have, I have a very deep belief that he would not have chosen any other way to have lived his life. A great life lived to the fullest has no measure in time. There are many others among us who quietly go about creating their experience here with that same spirit, and I have am always on the lookout for them. They inspire me and validate me. If you look and listen, you will see them too. The 71 year old grandmother from Oregon who lost her sight in her twenties, who recently took a big leap when she went skydiving for the fist time. When asked what it felt like she replied: "Oh the only word I have is heaven. It's great, it feels so good. It's free, just like a bird." Or Charlie, the retired school teacher who spends most of the year in the Alaskan wilderness, playing with bears. He cares not what society calls his lifestyle; he is doing what feels right for him, what his heart calls for. The father who, despite a heart condition, answered his son's request to run the Ironman together. That father carried, pushed, and pulled his son through the entire event, for he lives his life in a wheelchair, unable to do it alone. Even Brett Farve, who retired as one of NFL's most successful quarterbacks, and is willing to say he was wrong, he has not had enough. Willing to brave the media and his former team, he is intent on living out his dreams.

We do not all have to be extreme skiers to live a life of action and fulfillment. Quite the contrary, we would not be serving Mother Earth if we did. How many avalanches can a girl take? We just need to quiet ourselves often enough for our deepest dreams to come forward, and use that as a springboard for attaining joy in our everyday of doing what we do. The small steps that can be taken begin to create the foundation for always living on the edge of a dream. Find the courage to ask someone for help, spend one day saying hello with a smile to everyone you encounter, to speak up against an injustice, to become active for a cause, to start a conversation in the elevator with a stranger, to talk to someone who has the career you dream of, to find out everything you can about the things that interest you. Every little action brings new knowledge and light to us, allowing us to be more.

Taking action without letting my ego pressure me into worrying about how I will be perceived is how I have learned to connect back to that adventurous child and really experience my life. And I have found that the more I see of others, the more of me is revealed. More of who I am, allowing my authentic self to show up with the curiosity and wonder that I had as a child.

Each action taken gives you more confidence to take another step, and another. The joy in the action fills you up. And soon there you go, flying over the edge of that cliff, the edge you have traveled so far out of your way for so long to avoid.

Donna Orr
searchingforinspiration http://www.inspiration-search.com/