“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I’ve been venturing outside my comfort zone in this space a good deal lately. It feels pretty exhilarating and the articles have been very good.
After I hit upon an idea that I want to coach on for an article, I’m usually riddled with self-doubt. I’m riddled with fear and disbelief. I don’t trust myself that I can get it done.
But when I actually crack it, it’s an incredible feeling.
My piece a few weeks ago about masculine and feminine energy is probably prime for that.
I hope the same is the outcome of this article.
Today I want to talk about trusting something without believing in it first. Trusting something without evidence or belief.
|
Today I want to talk about trusting something without believing in it first. Trusting something without evidence or belief.
Consider this example. My Pete is a big dog with a big mouth.
See?
Being a rescue dog, his medical past was a little spotty before I adopted him. All I knew was that he had been neutered and vaccinated but otherwise was in good health. He also got a voucher for a free checkup at a local vet – which uncovered nothing out of the normal.
A few months after I adopted him, I noticed he was lame on one of his back legs. I assumed he maybe ran a little too hard on one of our walks.
But the lameness wasn’t going away.
My vet back in Alabama was well into his 80s. He was damn good at what he did, but he could tell my boy had hip dysplasia without even doing an X-Ray.
He got some treatment, medication, and we moved on.
One day last summer, he came up lame again. And I had to take him to a different vet because my normal vet wasn’t in the office that day.
They did an X-Ray this time. He was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia in both hips. My happy, healthy, young buddy had arthritis in both hips.
I outweigh him by, y’know, a lot. I’m 40 years old. I lift weights 6 days a week and squat every day. And even I don’t have arthritic hips…yet.
This was an emotional punch to the gut.
This vet gave me three pills that I had to give him twice a day.
Keep this in mind, Pete’s a sweetheart. But he’s still a big, powerful dog with the jaw pressure of a bulldog. He could @#%^ me up if he wanted to.
He trusts me that I won’t do him harm and will keep him safe. Granted, he doesn’t have the logic that a human of higher intelligence (his human) has.
But even more than he, I trust him. I trust him that he won’t go primal on me when I stick my hand in that giant mouth. And a year later, I still possess all ten fingers.
My point is that while he could go primal, he doesn’t.
At my root, I don’t have any place to believe that he won’t do that. But I do trust him.
I have faith that he will stay the 70-pound lap dog that he is.
Pete’s evolution is not that far removed from the wolf. Maybe a few hundred years.
Humans have evolved from apes for millions of years.
While I live with an animal that I trust with my life, I barely trust the man in the mirror.
|
I speak on this Pete situation because while I live with an animal that I trust with my life, I barely trust the man in the mirror.
There are certain aspects of who I am in which I have complete confidence. My writing skills aren’t to be trifled with. I have complete confidence in my sense of humor (other than when I’m being self-deprecating, y’know.)
But while I have complete confidence in my writing skills, I don’t have the faith in my storytelling skills. While I have written a book, I believe the story could’ve been fleshed out better. I could have said the same about the screenplays I’ve written as well
While I have confidence in my skills as a coach, my confidence at getting clients is nonexistent. This is because I haven’t had much success so far because I don’t know how to do it. I don’t have the belief. No faith.
And while I care for Potential a great deal (oy vey, here we go again), I have no faith that if I ever confess the depth of my feelings for her that they’d be appreciated. I don’t trust myself and my intuition in that regard.
{Side note: jeez I hope she doesn’t read this!}
But I am taking some steps to get past this. I have no faith that they’ll work, but I am going to try.
- For the first time in my writing career, I’m writing an outline for my new book. And I believe it’s pretty good.
- I’m venturing out more and more for my coaching business. I’m doing a podcast. I re-branded. I’m networking more and more. And something is going to pop very soon.
- I’m re-doubling my efforts in healthy eating. My wellbeing is truly on an upswing.
- I even have a plan to confront Potential with my feelings. That terrifies me on so many levels, but it’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to her. Maybe I’ll be surprised.
I mean, I’m probably going to be surprised in a good way.
Look, coaches aren’t perfect. We’re human. We are in process on many things.
Let my process support your process. It’s a beautiful circle of support.
Hit me up at [email protected] and we can connect on a test drive session. Let’s re-shape your relationship with your trust.
I’m reminded of my animated spirit animal – Charlie Brown. Charlie never thought that people liked him. He never thought the little redhead girl would like him.
But the moment when he realizes just how loved and blessed he is, that’s a beautiful moment every time. He could be saved a lot of angst by trusting his tribe. Even Lucy.
I mean, even the little redhead girl liked him. And he was terrified to talk to her.
And my little redhead girl has blonde hair…oh man, I’m talking myself out of it.
Look, trust your gut. Do you need to believe that things are going to go well before you do a thing?
Take a swing. If you miss, you can always swing at the next pitch.
There’s always going to be another pitch.
Photos by Keith and Ryan Hall