Being thrown from the nest

Pema Chödrön said it best:

“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.”

That is exactly how life can feel, especially when you say yes to life.
It might seem like saying yes to life would be fun and easy and Instagramable, but sometimes it’s as terrifying as the first time you saw The Blair Witch Project or went on your first rollercoaster. Sometimes saying yes to life feels like you’re going to pee your pants in terror.

But just because it’s scary doesn’t mean something's wrong or that you shouldn’t do it.
It’s scary because it’s unfamiliar to you.

You can let fear stop you and go back to your cozy nest. Or you can put one foot in front of the next and, with a racing heart and sweaty palms, strap on a helmet, and say yes.

One choice isn’t more commendable than the other. Sometimes, going back to the nest makes the most sense. There are seasons for nesting and there are seasons for being a freaking warrior. Martha Beck says that when you’re scared and you want the outcome, do it. But when you’re scared and don’t want the outcome, don’t do it. Only you know what is best for you.

When it’s the right season for you, when you want the outcome, and when you’re trembling in your britches, know this:

The things you will have to overcome, learn, figure out, struggle with, face, and process in order to do scary things are the exact things that will help you grow and expand as you step into the next version of yourself.

We have so many lives within this one lifetime. And each one gets us closer to ourselves.

No matter how scary it feels right now, you have what it takes to do this. And so much magic awaits. 

Take a deep breath, feel the fear, say yes to life, get thrown from the nest, and learn to fly.

Molly