“Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.”
― Eckhart Tolle
I have recently been presented with quite a few monstrous invitations to stretch into some bigger than (my) life YES moments. And I do mean bigger than I perceive my life to be.
And I have been terrified.
My inner gremlins have been raging. They tug at me and pull at me to stay where I am, to step back, to hide away even. “But, Katie, what if you’re not good enough? What if you can’t meet their expectations? What if you don’t have the resources? What if it’s hard? What if you don’t like it? What if you’re not ready yet? What if you’re choosing the wrong thing? What if…what if…what if!!!” They are nearly deafening with their insistence. And the emotions they infuse into me wriggle and writhe within my belly and are almost as crippling as the doubts they whisper in my ear.
Normally, I am pretty good at finding the balance of stepping forward, even if I don’t feel quite ready. But these opportunities lately have meant big things for my future and the future of my company. In other words, life is becoming a long term vision all of a sudden, not just a short term series of decisions with quick exit points if I want to change my mind.
With this latest round of invitations to grow, to mature and to move forward in life, something different happened. As the gremlins whaled and shrieked, a deeper calm has been stewing and rising within me. One that gently persists. And a thought began to take hold within that calm.
What if I could have it all?
And I began to wonder … What happens when you finally surrender? When you stop fighting yourself? When you hit pause on all the reasons that you don’t deserve it yet? When you finally let life give you all the good stuff it possibly can. All the stuff that is waiting just beyond the line of what you perceive is your upper limit. And you stop wondering or worrying about how it’s going to get here and who might deliver it. Better yet, you stop trying to control how it’s all going to happen.
Instead, you simply allow. You allow yourself to be loved. To be followed and adored. To be unapologetically happy. You allow yourself to be as successful as you can dream up. You allow yourself to be safe. To be supported. You allow opportunities to come into life and you actually take them. Even though you don’t know the potential they hold yet. Gasp!
I’m challenging you. It’s time to silence those gremlins. Time to step all in. Time to surprise yourself. Time to expand. Are you ready?
It is entirely possible that all you’ve ever truly wanted is standing on your doorstep. Just waiting to be invited in. Our internal resistance to success does everything it can to keep us safe and standing still. The security of knowing how it is and how it will be if we keep things the same. But the world is waiting for you to grow. To keep moving forward. To keep expanding and learning and making an impact.
Step in, my friend. Stop sitting on the sidelines. Stop waiting for the right thing. Stop thinking of all the reasons you aren’t allowed or you shouldn’t or you can’t. Stop blocking your own success. Start thinking of all the reasons you can and you will and you have to. Begin to look for opportunity. Better yet, begin to expect it. You are just as deserving as anyone else out there. Just as worthy. Just as ready.
And remember – there are very few things in this life that can’t be undone if you really needed to. Look at all you’ve done for yourself so far in your years of gathering wisdom. Finding safety is the easy part. If you need that, you can trust yourself to find it.
To Adventures and Surprises!
Katie
