Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations.
A few years back, a dear friend of mine and I coined a phrase of how we were going to start living the next chapter in our newly divorced lives. Every time we encountered a challenge that would make us vulnerable, required a leap of faith, or was just something frighteningly new, we would say to ourselves, 'NTL...we've got Nothing to Lose'.
This mantra really serves all of us well when we are pushed to leave our comfort zones. The thought of a new job, a career change, a relationship dive, or just the opportunity to speak our minds to someone, requires a bit of this 'NTL' attitude. It's an easy way to push yourself to asking the necessary questions that make your life meaningful, purpose-driven and full.
NTL started out as merely an inspirational acronym for mustering the courage of post-divorce dating (trust me it's scary), but quickly blossomed into so much more. It's that little push we all need when there is a thought mustering in our mind and heart and causing us angst. When elderly parents need a serious discussion about lifestyle/home change, when we question the possibility of a move, when we know we need to check something out with our doctors...remember: NTL.
Ironically, there probably IS something to lose if we take action on something that scares us. We will feel exposed, we might hurt someone's feelings, we may experience rejection or failure. We might even get more difficult news that we now have to deal with. BUT the inaction is 100 times worse. When your God-given instinct moves you to thoughts and opportunities for change, you are being presented with a universe of new possibilities! Why would we ever miss out on moving forward in life and into this realm of newness just because it was too scary to take the leap?
NTL. Nothing to lose. Just keep reminding yourself that as your face your next life challenge, big or small. Trust me, friends, I have taken more LEAPS in the past decade than there are stars in the beautiful night sky! The best part is, once you start applying the NTL mantra in your life, it becomes so much easier every time forward - like muscle memory for the soul.
Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations. If you need encouragement to take that challenging step forward, remember, you have a thousand beams of light ushering you forward. Those before you and behind you are in AWE of your bravery. If you need a gentle shove, you can always call others, or reach out to me!
Step Forward Strong Warrior. Make the Call. Speak Your Truth. Head Out the Door. You Can Do It. You've Got NTL!
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