Dear MELISSA,

Ok, here we go again.

It's been more than a year since I left Dallas.

No, I don't have a permanent address of my own, YET.

However, I'm clear about the general vicinity in which I want to relocate.

I actually discounted this area previously for personal reasons.

And yet, I've felt so much peace while staying with friends this last month.

"Where," you ask. The Hill Country (of Texas).

Small towns of less than eight thousand people. Rural in between.

I've seen grey foxes, a bobcat, plenty of deer, lots of humming birds and hawks, and scorpions.

You can actually see the stars at night.

The openness allows, even forces, me to slow down.

It's high and dry, so the heat is very different than in Houston.

Yes, it's still hot, but more bearable.

You question, "How can I move when I don't have my own place?"

Well, the practical answer is:

I can't jump on a good opportunity from several hours away.

The more complicated answer is: TRUST.

I love it out here. It feels right. The people are so welcoming.

I have supportive friends who have lived out here for years.

Everything feels different about this move versus the move to Houston from Dallas.

This change feels like a Leap of Faith, filled with potential, direction and excitement,

Whereas it felt like my back was against the wall as I left Dallas.

Besides, moving to the country has been my desire for some time.

Turns out it isn't East Texas with tall pine trees,

But more westward with cedars and oaks.

Hence, it's time to trust and follow old Indie's example in The Last Crusade.

It's time to leap.

That means trusting God is still in control and trusting in myself to succeed.

In a world full of crazy, trust is imperative to your sanity, security, safety, and finding your way.

Faith is at variance with what the world would have you do.

So how do you relearn to trust yourself and step out in faith?

One baby step at a time.

Are you ready?

Let's do this!

Blessings of a life well lived,

Melissa

P.S. Previous issues can be accessed on my website here: https://melissafairchild.coachesconsole.com/newsletters

Trusting Dynamite

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Leap of Faith

Have you ever been faced with making a decision that goes counter to everything you think you know or without having sufficient information? In spite of either situation, the choice feels clear. And even though the decision may be frightening, the decision is not fear driven. In fact, the choice feels right in spite of any fear or uncertainty.

This moment involves TRUST... trust in you, in your discernment and/or in something greater than yourself. Such a moment can feel overwhelming, especially if you tend to rely solely on logic when making decisions.

But, try as you may, no other choice feels right; nor has anything else you've tried worked well, if at all. You don't know how you know, but things are going to work out. You may literally feel it in your body.

With faith, trust, and effort, you KNOW the commitment is worth risking, even when the "information" is not fail proof or you do not fully understand the endeavor yet or what the endpoint will look like. That undertaking may be a move, change in career, marriage, having a child, divorce, starting a business... to name only a few situations.

Oh, no doubt, many will swear you are being a fool. No matter the naysayers, you cannot shake the feeling that this is the direction for you in this moment. And often, it is just the first of a series of changes that direct you to some desired end... an end you may be unaware you were finally headed toward.

How do you follow this knowing, this gut feeling, this sense that this is the right choice when you are limited to only trusting what you can see or understand? When you are limited by the logical and predictable? Faith revealing the next step

First and foremost, it comes down to an important decision: do you jump or regret having never tried?

Adventure and greatness are not revealed by staying within the bounds of safety or certainty. In fact, certainty does not exist. Life throws you a curve ball (or two or three) at some point in the journey. Faith demands we accept these challenges, trusting in the absence of evidence.

Be clear, this leap does not involve blind trust. You have done your homework, talked with your most trusted people, and maybe even prayed and/or meditated on your decision.

There will be tests. You will fall down. Your challenge is to keep getting back up no matter how many times you find yourself on the ground. Faith will provide you the courage and strength to push yourself up repeatedly, carrying you every step ahead.

Furthermore, faith leaves room for miracles. Aspirations that seem impossible under the current circumstances (whether that is revitalizing your health, reviving your failing relationship, getting a promotion, or whatever it is that you are wanting to experience) come together in remarkable ways.

So can you imagine for one second that things go right, I mean really, really RIGHT? No more fixating on all the things that could go wrong or imagining the worst-case scenarios for every situation. Could you allow that you are being guided to the miracles that were designed just for you?

Will you take the risks to go after what you want or will you allow fear to keep you small and hold you back? Remember, everything you desire is located outside of your comfort zone or you would already have it.

Are you ready to tame the inner critic, change your story, and release the power of you?

Actually, don't wait until you are ready. You will never really be ready. Choose now to take that first inspired action, which could be as simple as writing down what you want in massive details, what fears get in the way of having what you desire, and beginning to release those fears., while anticipating the next inspired action to reveal itself.

For me it means moving to a new town without having secured a permanent address, YET. Certainly, there are many things that could go wrong. There is also so much that could go right. I recognize the fears, and then release expectations of how this could or should go, opening to the unlimited possibilities of how this situation could perfectly unfold.

Don't get me wrong. I won't be sitting by and waiting for something to fall into my lap. I am knocking on every door to let others know what I am looking for and seeking help at every turn. Every conversation could be a step closer to my destination.

For this to work, be you. Don't try to fake it until you make it. You will change as you walk the path, growing into the person required to fulfill your destiny. Remember this is a process, so no trying to rush things or taking shortcuts. And celebrate every win, no matter how minute it seems to you. This keeps you in appreciation and having fun as you are awed by the miracles that unfold.

Cool Resource

Parable of Faith

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On a Personal Note