An editor once asked me to do more work for less money.
It took me two weeks to decide to walk away from that gig. I wasn’t sure what would come next, but every time I’ve faced a leap of faith moment where I bet on myself and my vision, it has paid off.
One of the reasons the leaps pay off is because they have to. It’s a burn-the-boats situation where there is no going back and it’s up to me to figure the new reality out.
Another reason the leaps pay off is because I trust myself and know that when I’m clear about who I am, have good intentions, keep my side of the street clean, stay in service mindset, and listen to those internal nudges, I end up where I’m supposed to be.
Leaps of faith can involve plenty of anxiety and questions about how it will all work out. That’s the nature of leaping. But as my sister once told me, your wings can’t unfold until you leap.
So what happens when we extend that mindset to our larger communities? What does it look like to bet on each other? I recently had the opportunity to chat with my friend Chip, who is a leading voice in the placemaking movement and host of the Sidewalk Ballet podcast, about connection, service and contribution as essential parts of community, and how belonging is an act of optimism.
Ever since our conversation, I’ve been thinking about how betting on ourselves and each other is a profound and transformational practice. Doing so has the potential to change lives, communities, regions, and our world.
So what does it look like to not only bet on ourselves, but to bet on each other, as well? Let’s find out.
Listen to our conversation on YouTube and on the Coworking Out Loud podcast.
