Cliff Dwellers

What will it take for God to convince you to jump off the cliff? You know exactly what I am talking about; that secret life you wish you were living that’s killing you inside but for the life of you, you can't come up with the strength to change. There is something about familiarity that creates a comfort zone that makes it so hard to imagine leaving even though it is full of pain when you think about what could be.

As we live a life of cliff dwelling, we make sure that the stones under our feet keep us safely on solid ground, yet close enough to the edge that we can fantasize about actually living the "what if's" we dream about.

For years or possibly longer, we have used the old cliche "take a leap of faith". Funny thing is, we are always saying that to someone else and not to ourselves. There is always that obstacle we imagine that is bigger than anything, so we work our butts off to convince ourselves and others that we just can't do it. As we play martyr to life circumstances and gain a few RSVP's to our "woe is me" pity party, it is certainly our hope that others understand and empathize with us why we just can't take that leap.

I say STOP DYING AND START LIVING! In my Livin A Dream Foundation, I get many cards and letters a year from people that are physically dying and most sooner rather than later. These people are sharing with me the most amazing stories of how life transforms when you decide you have nothing left to lose and everything to gain. Keep in mind, these are coming from terminally ill people. Life started for them the day they were told they were dying. They jumped off the cliff; they took that leap of faith they so often spoke of to others. Life all the sudden had value and meaning. No more meandering around like a robot preprogrammed for every move.

Dream big and then find a way to live the dream. Life is too darn short to spend it chained to the side of the mountain filled with fear. I love the quote that says "if you take the leap of faith, one of two things will happen; God will either give you wings to fly or a parachute to land safely." Believe, please, in the you that was lost so many years ago. Not an arrogant belief, but a humble one. Trust that God gave you exactly what you need to fly high once you are nudged out of the nest.

Cliff dwellers dangle from all sorts of ropes. Some are ropes made of poor self-esteem created by years of emotional abuse. Others might be health problems or being overweight. A heavy rope that has kept you tied so tightly to your past will take a large blade to cut through it. Find that blade and use it; whatever is keeping you dangling there has all of your hopes and dreams tied up with it.

As you read this, get the martyr mentality out of it. If you have resigned yourself to your plight in life then by all means, keep it to yourself. Do not try to get others to feel sorry for you.

You can do it. You are a winner. Whatever about life you want to change for the better, start small and do something.  The key is to start. Take that first step toward the edge.

Never under any circumstance attempt to make your life better by making someone else's worse. This is not about revenge, hatred, or anger. This is about trusting yourself and God enough to believe that life can and will be better.

It truly makes that leap great when you see others following your example and taking the leap too. I want to see a world filled with peacemakers, dreamers, believers, and people willing to lend a hand to those struggling to take the leap and live free.

Life may have you beaten down, but you don’t have to stay down. You may be dying of cancer, but you aren't dying today. To believe in God, you have to believe in yourself. Remember God plus you equals enough. HOWEVER, God plus you, plus the movement (all of us), equals a winning combination.

Go ahead, jump

peace be with you

Dale