I Cross a Stream, I Have a Dream

Do you think you could jump from a second story window into a large body of water below? How about if there was a raging fire starting to burn through the door, and leaping off the ledge was the only possible way out of the room?

Thank goodness most of us will never be faced with a life or death situation such as this, however, every day hundreds of thousands of individuals deal with overwhelming situations that call for action and they find that they cannot make the transition. They're afraid to jump, yet to remain means to get badly burned, or worse. Rooted to the spot where they stand because of emotional paralysis, a fear based behavior, the ability to move forward evades them, and the deadly flames engulf them.

The flames can represent almost anything – a rotten business deal, a marriage gone bad, unhappiness with your choice of college major, or experiencing buyers' remorse.

Too many stay in their bad deal, allowing the flames to lick higher and higher, causing profuse sweating, blistering and pain as the fire overtakes them and snuffs out their lives. It's heart-wrenching, when all they had to do was take a leap of faith into the cool, life-saving water below.

What's scarier is the fact that most of these decisions are not life or death situations – they're decisions that end up being either right or wrong for you, but death will not ensue. Action was never taken to find out.

To reach your dreams and realize them in a big way, it takes more for some and less for others. Some people are looking for the next challenge in all aspects of their lives. And many shy away from the decision-making that can lead them to greener pastures (or failure). Now you might think that if they knew that there would be greener pastures and no failure, they would take the leap of faith but surprisingly, the idea of making a choice is just as difficult for a guaranteed good outcome than not.

Fear of the unknown prevents many from having a full, well-rounded life. Afraid to travel, commit to a partner or job or move to a new city keeps these individuals in a pretty monotonous life.

In Abba's hit, I Have a Dream, the lyrics are simple but evocative of a deeper belief system:

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

The line, "Something good in everything I see," is extremely important, as it underlines the concept that all experiences are valuable. Shutting out decision making because of fear of the outcome is shutting out life.

Change your college major, try a new job, ask the young lady with the pretty smile to join you for a cup of coffee, book tickets for an adventure. Start living life. The worst that can happen? You add another experience to your list. Perhaps you do find what you were looking for. Until you open your eyes, mind and heart, you will never know.