Jump into Success

Are you a watcher or a jumper?

Several years ago my children and I were at Lake Powell. There was a cliff above a pool of water. Several people were jumping off the cliff into the water. It wasn’t horribly high, and the water seemed deep. My children wanted to jump as well. Being the cautious mother that I am, I wasn’t comfortable with that. I’d heard all the horror stories of kids jumping, hitting their heads, and dying.

We were with some friends who had jumped off this cliff before and assured us it was safe. They knew that in a certain spot there was a rock under the surface that someone could get hurt on. So they asked the current jumpers to stop so they could explore the water and find the rock. They swam around and found the rock and showed everyone where it was.

Then they climbed to the top of the cliff and started jumping. My husband jumped in as well. Now it was my turn. Was I going to be a wimp in front of my children. I had seen 10 or so people jump and land safely. The cliff wasn’t really high. Could I do it?

After much coaxing and reassurance I took the leap. It was thrilling (and scary) to fly through the air and land in the cold water. My children followed. We had a fabulous time that afternoon as a family, with friends, and making new friends. If I hadn’t been willing to take the leap that vacation might not have been so fun.

This is the same with business. Some people, like me, are content to be “watchers.” They will sit on the top of the cliff and watch everyone else take the leap. They are too scared to explore the water. Then there are the serial jumpers. They jump no matter what. They don’t explore the rocks under the surface before they jump. And last there are the cautious jumpers. They explore the water to make sure they can jump into it fairly safely. Then they climb the cliff and jump.

The moral of this story? Be a cautious jumper. Explore your subject enough so you know you will enjoy it and can predict where some dangerous rocks may be. Don’t worry about being an expert and knowing everything. Don’t jump in because your cousin Robert said it was a good idea and he’s making tons of money (so he says). Try something because you think you will enjoy it. Understand that sometimes things will be hard. But if you sit on the rock too long and never take the leap, life will pass you by.