The Scariest Change Brings the Greatest Growth

Stepping into life-changing decisions with courage

“I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I have been.”

— Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)

Sketch of Pooh and Piglet, signed “E.H. Shepard 1958.” Dominic Winter Auctioneers

Those who consider themselves clever people will be unlikely to give up something they know is good for something that is unknown.

They might think that a risky decision is reserved for an adrenaline junky, a gambler or a fool.

But people’s biggest regret in old age is not taking the risk.

Risk is not the opposite of good. In my experience, risk is like a container that holds many things. Some negative — difficulty, struggle, uncertainty, confusion. Some positive— freshness, excitement, opportunity.

With that said, risk has one benefit that trumps all:

Walking into something unknown makes you feel alive.

Behind door number 1 is $1000 and a puppy. But behind door number 2 is unknown prize.

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There are moments to decline risk — when it simply does not feel right.

But when you feel the Source* pulling you toward something that scares you — you must follow it.

*Source (capitalised) is a term used by Rick Rubin in his book ‘The Creative Act’ to describe the mysterious pull of the universe.

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The Frog in the Well

Zhuang Zhou from Zhuangzi (4th century BCE) — slightly adapted by me

A frog lived in a well, believing it was the whole world.

One day, a passing turtle from the great ocean peeked into the well. The frog excitedly boasted about his home, saying, “This well is the best place to live! The water is cool, the walls protect me, and I have everything I need.”

The turtle chuckled and said, “You think this well is the whole world?”

The frog hesitated. Leaving the well meant stepping into the unknown. But something inside him whispered that there was more to life than the little circle of stone he had always known.

Summoning his courage, the frog leaped out of the well. For the first time, he saw the sky stretch endlessly above him. And when he finally reached the ocean, he was overwhelmed by its vastness. He realized how small his well had been and how much more there was to explore.

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What it means to take a leap of faith

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” 

— John A. Shedd

My idea of a good life is an interesting one — one where I have stories to tell, friends all over the world and rich experiences to remember.

I believe certainty is a dead end disguised as a destination. And you don’t want a dead end; you want a vast ocean of possibility.

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But every leap of faith does come with leaving good things behind — if you’re moving cities, it means temporarily saying goodbye to friends, family, to everything you know and love.

But it also means opening yourself to the potential of new loved ones, new things to see and to enjoy. And the most beautiful part is that the old ones don’t go away — distance only makes the heart grow fonder.

When I left for my studies in Canada in 2018, I came back 6 months later to a warm embrace from my loved ones, and the city I left remained the same, but I had deep friendships all over the world. I was able to experience life differently and see how different people lived.

Again in 2023 when we travelled Europe — I was worried about leaving my career as I was just ramping up to it, but my travels, new friendships and rich experiences completely reupholstered my character and I came back to a new job which changed my career for the better.

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All this is to say that some of the most incredible experiences in life come on the other side of the unknown.

Whatever that decision is for you, consider this a sign to take the leap, and accept that the leap will have pros and cons. But so does not taking the leap.

Only one thing is certain:

You will never regret having given it a go.

Sincerely,

eren

Follow me on Substack and LinkedIn for short bursts of motivation and peace, and to follow along on my journey of creating the world’s best in-person mindset workshop.

image of author captured by aceslog