A Leap Of Faith
Do you remember what it was like when you were little and you would think that everything in the world is possible? Do you remember what it was like to be free of fears, self doubts, and limiting beliefs? We are naturally born with only two fears: the fear of falling, and the fear of loud noises. Everything else that we fear, whether it’s failure, money, confrontation, or even success, has been instilled into our minds throughout the course of our lives. I’ll let that sink in. It makes you wonder, at what age did we start to feel fear?
I have a core memory that always resonates with me when I’m about to do something out of my comfort zone. I was in Hawaii visiting Waimea Bay, the main beach off the North Shore. There is a well-known cliff that hangs 25 feet above the water and from which people can jump. Of course, I made a beeline for that cliff in order to jump off myself. When I got to the top, I noticed that there were people in two groups: half of them were unphased to the height of the jump and were even doing flips, and the other half were standing at the top, debating whether or not to jump before eventually deciding to walk back down the cliff. Something I learned in that very moment when you’re making a decision that scares the hell out of you, is that all you have to do is take a deep breath, look up, count to 3, and jump. We never know what lies on the other side of fear unless we cross that barrier and explore it ourselves. As soon as I splashed into the beautiful Hawaiian water I climbed up that cliff and did it again, and again and again. Each jump felt less intimidating than the prior, and my confidence grew with every leap. Moving forward with that lesson has allowed me to create a life enriched with adventure, creativity, passion, achievement, and yes, even fear.
I implemented this lesson into every aspect of my life including my career. I started to fully pursue modeling this past year with many doubts, followed by a number of people who advised me against this bold decision. Although hesitant, I remembered that I had never given myself a reason to doubt my potential before, so why should I allow others to doubt me? I learned that an important part of facing fears comes from surrounding yourself with people who encourage you and do their best to alleviate the fear and stress in your life. Those who will celebrate as you jump instead of trying to convince you to come back down. After several cheerleaders urged me to pursue this dream, I was ready to climb up that cliff and take the leap. I had gained immediate confirmation when I booked myself to walk in multiple shows during Miami Swim week. I had the opportunity to walk for various international designers, open for shows, and create genuine connections with creative and inspiring people. That sense of success was far superior to the sense of comfort I had previously experienced, and I was eager to experience it again and again, just as I had been when jumping over the cliff. Since then, I've been invited back to walk in New York Fashion Week, have been internationally published, introduced to the most prestigious agencies, monetizing off of print and runway, and working with well known brands that I love. All because I had the fear and did it anyway.
Did you know that both fear and excitement are stored in our solar plexus? This means that our bodies react to both of these feelings in the same way: our hands start to sweat, we begin to tense up, our heart rate increases. So instead of saying we are afraid we must remind ourselves that those nerves are actually excitement, and natural to feel as we are launching ourselves into an area of growth and expansion. Change the narrative. If you're feeling nervous or unsure about those next steps, remember that this means you are on the right track and by conquering those fears you will have nothing holding you back from accomplishing your goals. All you have to do is take a deep breath, look up, count to 3, and jump. And as soon as you jump you wish you would have done it sooner. That, I believe, is when you truly start to feel alive.
