Taking the first step out on faith can often be the hardest one. Whether it be applying for a job, addressing conflict with a spouse, dealing with a trauma or even just going to the store; making the decision to address something that scares us is hard. Fear hides behind a lot of decisions that we hesitate on and can cripple us to not making a decision at all.

When you find yourself in this place, ask yourself two things. One, what is the worst possible outcome of me making this leap of faith? Quite often we don't make a decision because we are afraid of what we PROJECT to be the worst case scenario. Secondly, ask yourself, if that were to happen, what would be the chances of me turning out alright? With some thought, answering this can help us decipher whether the result of our decision is life or death versus comfortable or uncomfortable. If it is just uncomfortable, how uncomfortable is it on a scale of 1-10 (10 being most uncomfortable)? Most of the best opportunities for positive change and growth come from moments of discomfort.

One of the most powerful abilities we have as human beings is our ability to change our perspective. This ability allows us the strength of re-evaluating something that we may feel is a burden in our life, and grasp on to the seeds of change that it presents us. There is a quote that says, "there are no mistakes in life, only life lessons." I find this perspective (way to look at life) to be a compassionate way of thinking on the past and the future. Investigate the aspects of a situation, that happened or may happen to you, that are teachable lessons in which you can ingest and use to feel more positive about where you may be today. Stepping out on faith starts with re-imagining how you will feel after taking that step. Remember, Just because taking the first step is hard, doesn't also mean that it is impossible. Hard and impossible are not synonymous. Take the step to do what may elevate your life forward and unshackle you from your past.

Author: RaShun Cowan, MS, LPC, CCTP