On Friday, a friend and I got onto the topic of what she wants to do with her life. I had learned a week or so before, that the one thing she really wants desperately to do, is be a hunting guide. This is her dream job and what she wants to spend the rest of her life doing. Unfortunately, it's a bit of an "old boys club," and this has kept her from really making an effort to get into it. Well, we had our little chat on Friday and I told her that sometimes you just have to take a leap because if you never try then you will definitely never succeed.

After some nudging, she sent the company she wants to work for an email asking if they have any jobs available...and after receiving a message from the company owners wife indicating there were no available positions, she heard from the owner directly; and now it looks like her dream might come true!

Even if she doesn't get a job with the company right now, she is on their radar, and will be thought of in the future, especially if she keeps bugging them. But she wouldn't be so close to her dream had she not taken a risk and sent that email.

I have another friend who is going through some difficulties right now, and having a hard time reaching his dream. In his case, his fear is the result of his great responsibility to his family. I can understand that, it's not easy to take risks when you have so many relying on you. It can get depressingly stressful.

Mathematics tells us that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line...but sometimes it's actually shorter to take the roundabout and the side roads. I've tried to encourage him to take a risk but he's stuck in the helpless void of doubt. He has thoughts about what he can do (the roundabouts to take) to get there, even if it's not the most direct route, and I told him that if he's thought about it that much then maybe he should stop and listen, because someone is trying to tell him something.

In my own life, I know that if I hadn't taken some risks then I wouldn't be where I am now...so close to my dreams that I can almost taste them. I may not be taking the most direct route, but the road I'm on is getting me there. I simply have to keep taking those chances, putting myself out there (even when it's super scary), if I want to achieve my goals. Being patient is killing me, but at the same time I've never been happier and felt more alive!

In the immortal words of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: "Only in a leap from the lion's head shall he prove his worth." Life is full of leaps of faith, but if you're not willing to take a leap when it matters, then what have you really gained? If you have a dream then don't let the shadow of doubt cloud your path, because the promised land may lie just outside your vision.