It’s pretty impressive. It can send us into a downward spiral or corrupt the most peaceful moment. But it can be our secret friend that pushes us to heights we never thought possible; pushing us to fully dance with life. Many of us spend our time and our lives in distrust, hovering fearfully around the cliffs of change, chance, and possibility. We peek over the edge and spy the craggy rocks below. We look and we see pain, discomfort, and impossibility. So why should we jump? Why should we stretch? Why the heck should we venture out of our comfort zones? Where is the sense in that? Well, as a lifetime cliff dweller, I would like to share with you exactly why I feel that taking these leaps of faith is the only way we can soar and truly be who we are meant to be.

Just recently I looked over the edge of one of my steepest, most intense cliffs ever. It’s funny how these crazy heights sneak up on us. It happened in the blink of an eye one morning as I woke from a deep sleep. This day the craggy rocks below spoke to me of complete and devastating loss of EVERYTHING in my life. Their words took me to my knees. The pain was so unbearable that I swore I must have slipped and had been impaled on the sharp edges of the rocks below. Somehow I kept breathing and moving. The Universe sent a loved one to stop the bleeding and I kept moving. Then I realized that it was my life long buddy and pal Fear egging me on, daring me to jump in one of his most flamboyant attempts ever. It took some time, but eventually I found total surrender and gave Faith a chance. And in a very subtle moment of brilliance, I called Fear’s bluff and quietly stepped off the edge.  I discovered that when I took the leap of Faith and jumped off of the cliff, a wonderful thing happened. I found that just above the craggy rocks lies something quite amazing: beautifully and almost imperceptibly a net, which was once invisible before the leap, gracefully and lovingly appeared. It actually was always there and quite visible. I had just chosen not to see it.

So you see, the craggy rocks represent our fears and the net is the Love of the Universe or God (or however you choose to view it). The fear is so dense and dark and powerful that the light of our perception is doused with its intensity and all we can see, feel, hear, taste, and live is the smothering density of the fear.

So when we find ourselves in a less than empowered place, we tip-toe over to the cliff and see the fall and the rocks. Our stomachs churn and we make a hasty retreat  back to our path of least resistance. A little while later we think, “Hhmmm… Maybe I’ll just go take another look.”  Suddenly the craggy rocks have grown and are pointier than ever! So we make another hasty retreat back to the comfort zones of our cozy little lives. A few days later we may go wandering back to the cliff. The sights we see  become more and more disturbing each time we revisit this vista of what we now think is doom. Suddenly it becomes a monster in our minds and begins effecting all aspects of our lives–physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Our whole being is effected.

Perhaps you are wondering what that “subtle moment of brilliance” was all about as I stood at the edge of my most recent cliff. Well,  surrender and freedom can happen anywhere. That day it happened for me in the United Airlines baggage check-in line at LAX. My suffering was unbearable until I remembered one simple thing: the Universe is my Source for EVERYTHING. With that sudden realization I was able to feel the safety of the Light and I gracefully floated off of the cliff as I stared directly at the rocks.

So what I’m sharing is this: Perhaps we can stop looking. Stop thinking. Stop retreating and just jump. Perhaps we can take the leap and choose to dance with life instead of letting fear take away our dancing shoes and keep us safely tucked in the comfort zone of stagnation. It may feel nice and cozy, but the results of that choice do not reflect our True Selves or help us to attain the much coveted title of Empowered Being. I can say this as I have played the cliff dance many a time in my life. But the net is stronger and mightier than any rock anywhere ever. My most recent leap has assured me of that.

But something else happened when I was out there flying in the air with the wind in my face, engaging in life, and staring deeply into the face of those scary rocks: by trusting and choosing to dance instead of just sitting it out on the edge of the cliff, not only did the net appear, but I found myself flying in mid-air.

Sometimes our fears keep us from taking a chance; from moving forward and enjoying and swaying to the beautiful rhythms of life. So I lovingly suggest that the next time you see a cliff in front of you, make a choice. Instead of choosing to sit it out, I hope you dance.

Here’s to your amazing flight with the Universe beneath your wings.

Allow the beautiful music and lyrics of Lee Ann Womack to touch, inspire, and nourish your soul.