Compass Bearings

This arrived in my inbox this morning. I really resonated with it, probably due to the ocean reference. I just wanted to share it with you so it might bring a smile and some inspiration to you as well for this brand new sparkling year. Enjoy!

Six years ago I looked out into the Atlantic Ocean on New Years Day with fear in my heart and uncertainty in my life. I had been fired from a “dot.com” company two weeks earlier with only two weeks of severance, no insurance for my two young children and only two months of savings in the bank. My wife and I had just invested every dollar we had and even took out a second mortgage on our home and $20,000 on a credit card to open what would be the first Moe’s Southwest Grill in Florida. The restaurant was set to open January 13th and we had no earthly idea how we would pay our home mortgage and other bills since I planned on keeping my salary and job while my managers built the restaurant business. Now, it was New Years Day and I had no job, no salary and a restaurant opening that at worst would fail miserably or at best take months to be profitable.

I thought of all this as I prepared to jump into the icy cold water-to take a symbolic plunge that this would be the year of NO FEAR. Regardless of the circumstances I was facing, this would be the year where I would trust and go for it. This would be the year I would be bold in actions and faith and humble in spirit. No longer could I do it alone. Now I needed a miracle and I would, as the saying goes, take actions as if my future depended on me and pray like it depended on God.

By jumping into the ocean I was declaring to God, myself, the world and my family that no longer will I allow fear to cut off the flow of abundant and positive energy in my life. No longer will I allow fear to paralyze me. No longer will I allow my past negative programming to broadcast over my airwaves. I would choose to believe that everything happens for a reason and have faith that somehow it would all work out. Instead of fear I would trust.

Years later, today, January 1, 2007 I jumped into the ocean again. It has become my ritual- to remind myself to follow my passion, live life to the fullest and to stay one step ahead of the fear that hovers around me. And as I walked out of the water, refreshed, energized, and grateful, I thought about all the people who read this newsletter and wished you could jump in with me and feel what I feel.

So this year I invite you to jump into 2007 with me- perhaps not in the ocean but in the depths of your mind. This jump doesn't necessarily require water but rather a leap of faith in your belief system and a shift in your mindset. The antidote to fear is trust and it is only a thought away. No one is going to push you over the chasm of struggle to the life that you want. God will nudge you but you must take the leap. You must make this jump in your mind and then with your actions. You must make this jump with trust, determination and faith. After all, they don't call it a leap of fear. They call it a "leap of faith" for a reason.

You will always feel fear. Everyone will. But the simple rule to remember is that your trust must be bigger than your fear. The bigger your trust the smaller your fear becomes. And the more you trust the more you become a conduit for miracles. A consulting job presents itself out the blue and you can now pay the mortgage, a check comes in the mail, the right person shows up, opportunities present themselves, some how, some way you are carried and given the chance to do the work you were born to do.

We truly only have one life to live. We only have one chance. We only have one moment at a time to create the life we were born to live. All you have to do is jump in with all that you are and all that you wish to become. Jump into 2007 with me and let's create an amazing life together.

Sending Positive Energy Your Way,
- Jon

Jon Gordon is a leading authority on developing positive, engaged people, leaders, schools, businesses and teams. He is the author of The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel your Work, Live and Team with Positive Energy, The 10-Minute Energy Solution and Energy Addict: 101 Ways to Energize Your Life. Jon's proven solutions are being put to use by people and organizations worldwide and his tips have been featured on CNN, the NBC Today Show, Men’s Health, Forbes, Positive Thinking Magazine, and more. He is also the co-founder of PEP- The Positive Energy Program, which creates and funds programs that develop healthy, positive children around the world. Learn more and sign up for Jon’s free weekly energy tip newsletter at www.JonGordon.com

(Reprinted with Permission © Copyright 2007 The Jon Gordon Companies)