Leap and the net will appear | How Discomfort is cool

Jan 23

When there’s something you want to do it’s scary to leap into the unknown, but once you take that first step, and go all in, you’ll find the universe will work in your favor.

In this video, I talk about why you should not settle for being comfortable. I truly believe that taking risks and listening to your heart, even when it’s scary is how you will find the most success in all areas of your life.

It’s taking one action that will then set in motion a series of events leading you to what your heart desires.

breaking free of comfortability

When I first moved to Denver, Colorado to start my business I took a lot of risks.

Not only that, I was constantly trying new things and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

Over the years I’ve gotten comfortable. Business is great……

but I’ve found myself being complacent.

When I reflect on my biggest accomplishments, personally and professionally, there are three things that take place to make it happen:

I stepped out of my comfort zone
I tried something new
I listened to my heart telling me the things I want to do

If watching videos isn’t your thing (I hope it is), feel free to read the script below!

I once heard…

I once heard a saying, “when your business starts becoming successful and things are going well it’s time to make changes. It’s when you get comfortable that you quit growing”

Leap and the net will appear is going to be my 2023 motto. I learned that when we leap into the act of creation or change, the universe answers back. It’s called synchronicity.

We change and the universe advances that change. It’s experiences coming together and forming some sort of meaning. Unexplained moments that leave us asking questions about how certain events align in such perfect order. Like when certain events or opportunities come into play in our favor right when we need them most.

It’s like opening a damn. Once we remove the block things start to flow and we experience this state of synchronicity and flow state.

When covid happened I moved across the country to live with family and started collecting unemployment.

One year later I came back and had my most successful year.

And then my most successful year after that.

But for the last year I’ve feeeelt……like I’m not doing enough. On the contrary, business is great. I’ve signed big contracts with brands I love working with. I moved my office out of my apartment into a great studio in the heart of the art district in Denver and I’ve had many other big wins along the way.

These things all feel great and reassure any self-doubt that all of us artists are guilty of feeling……

But I realized what I’m doing wrong.

When I first started my business in Denver I took a lot of risks. Leaps of faith were as frequent as chasing sunsets. The biggest thing I did…..was step out of my comfort zone and try new things. Over and over and over again.

It’s as simple as going to a different coffee shop, exploring new places, trying new things, or something as intimidating as learning how to scuba dive.

Getting out of your routine, shaking things up, and taking on things that make you uncomfortable is when you start to experience growth.

So this feeling I’ve had deep down inside is that I’m too comfortable. It’s scary because it’s easy to allow that to consume your life. I mean let’s be honest if things are going great wouldn’t it make sense to not change anything? If it’s not broke don’t fix it, right??

I disagree with that. As artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs we need to keep experimenting. I look at my career as a journey of climbing infinite mountains. Once I climb to the top of one, there’s another one to climb. It’s a constant pursuit of conquering and being defeated.

So that leads me to my conclusion. I love traveling. Reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and the excitement of living in the moment. There have been so many times in my life where I’ve thought, “there’s nowhere else I’d rather be (pause natural sound me sitting on a beach) than right here right now.

And they’ve almost always been when I’m in a new place or after I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone.

Going to Hawaii was something I’ve wanted to do forever. And I made it happen. Not only that…..I look back at 2022 and I realized there were so many things I tried and did that I’ve been putting off.

From cold water plunges, ice skating, pack rafting, and hiring a business coach to help me take myself to the next level; I’ve realized all I have to do is take that initial leap of faith……..also why the heck have I been putting all this stuff off?!

My answer: Because I’ve resisted change and getting out of my comfort zone. You know, those things I did when I first moved to Denver to start my business. The first step is always the hardest, cliche I know but that’s what I got for ya.

So my goal for 2023 is to take more leaps of faith. Paulo Coelho said it best in his book “The Alchemist”……

You will never be able to escape your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.

Listening to your heart often means taking a leap of faith. I fully believe when you combine the two……..the net will appear.

Conclusion

It’s tough to wake up every day saying, “I’m going to step out of my comfort zone today”

And that’s alright….

Not every day needs to be spent pushing yourself. In fact, taking the time to rest, reset, and reflect ( I won’t be that cliche guy saying “Stick to the three R’S!!) is equally important.

I make an effort to surround myself with people who have the same mentality as me. Not only does it make things like taking risks and stepping out of my comfort zone easier, it makes it inspiring to do so.