Leap of faith

“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out” Vaclav Havel

At the outset let me thank all those who took time out to comment and give a feedback on my previous post and for their warm appreciation of the blog in general. During this last 6 days there has been a spurt in the viewership with over 2,400 more views and 20 more followers. A year and half ago, when I first began writing this blog, I had no clue as to how the whole adventure would turn out. On hindsight I now realize that it was my passionate belief that I had something interesting, important and invaluable to share irrespective of who would appreciate, acknowledge and act on it that spurred me to plunge headlong into writing this blog . The quotes for today, in many ways unlock the secret to making that leap of faith.

The tragedy that befalls many is that they suffer from a syndrome called ‘paralysis by analysis’. At various times each one of us may also have briefly fallen victim to this ailment, where our ability to think and act seem to freeze, more so when the stakes are very high because we do not want to fail. Choosing between two equally appealing alternatives, deciding on a course of action when the end outcome is extremely uncertain and identifying the way ahead when the heart urges and the head rules, are typical situations that sap our confidence, dent our self belief and dash our hopes of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The net result is that we procrastinate, go forward tentatively, keep looking over our shoulder and /or take a half cocked stance leaving us stranded in no man’s land.

Logic is the bugbear of hope. With or without substantial analysis, based on past experience, our classroom or imbibed learning and our rational unemotional structured thought process we come to some conclusions. The problem with logic is that if it is not structured properly, we tend to arrive at conclusions that meet our preconceived hypothesis. However, there is always that nagging feeling that something is not right that keeps pricking us and in the stalemate between logic and feeling we choose to do nothing in the belief that there will be clarity soon or that the problem will be solved over time. Inaction often leads to missed opportunities, stress and frustration and futile attempts to justify the status quo. 

The handmaid of logic is analysis. Analysis is definitely a tool that aids and supplements the decision making process to arrive at logical conclusions. What limits its effectiveness though is complete reliance on it, for pure analysis has strong limitations in front of human emotions, sentiments and quirks. Moreover, one needs to make allowances for unexpected dynamics that can waylay the most carefully chalked out plans. This situation is common enough in daily life be it choosing a career path, making a career shift, choosing a spouse, making investment decisions etc. This does not make analysis redundant, but merely reinforces the fact that analysis cannot be stretched beyond a point and that once broad facts are known and some conclusions reached we need to pause and listen to our heart.

Those who attain success are people who identify what they can successfully and substantially contribute to and then use the tools of logic an analysis to narrow down the risks and use their imagination and hearts to widen the net of success. They are the ones who take that giant leap of faith not because they can see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but because they know they can create the rainbow.

Remember: “When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.”

Try this:

1. Identify the 3 strengths/ qualities/ abilities/ skill sets/expertise/passion that you posses and which you can utilize to make the world around you a better place. Eg. You are a good painter and you can teach art to economically disadvantaged children or you have great dexterity with anything to do with mechanical things or you are a good singer and you offer your time and services free to old age homes/ orphanages / some NGO’s running vocational schools etc.
2. At various times you may have felt the urge to do something for society at large. It could be taking care of stray animals or it could be vociferously fighting to keep strays at bay in the larger interests of the common man who could be running the risk of being chased by/ bitten. No matter what your objective is, what have you done more than merely thinking about it? How can you proactively involve yourself in the cause that tugs at your heartstrings?

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

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