There she stood, toes dangling over the edge of the platform as if the laws of gravity didn’t apply to her. She was shaking, and she was scared, but she was ready to take the leap. She had to be ready -- her very life hung in the balance.
Sounds like a day in the life of 42-year-old cliff diving champion Ginger Leigh Huber. It’s not!
It’s about you. That is, if you’ve ever stood on that scary but thrilling precipice of change wanting to leap.
Few could argue that diving into a body of water from a 98-foot cliff requires a leap of faith. And it's the same with our most profound and life-transforming changes.
Unlike death-defying dives, however, most “leaps of faith” occur as a result of fear or desperation. Something has to change, and so we close our eyes and take a wild uncalculated risk and hope for the best.
It doesn’t always work out. Quite often, we crash and burn. As a consequence, we never want to risk leaping again.
But what if you could consciously take that same life-changing leap without the risk of falling or failing? What if, instead of just closing your eyes and hoping for the best, there was a formula?
Ginger Huber's Process
Before, during and after standing on that platform, Ginger Huber engages with a conscious process.
- She has already created rapport and connection with her body through physical conditioning. While on the platform, she instantly reestablishes that rapport with several relaxing deep breaths.
- Her unconscious mind is congruent with the conscious task at hand. She has agreeance.
- She acknowledges, then dismisses or ignores her innate amygdala FEAR response.
- Lastly, with one final deep breath and a literal leap of faith, she puts into practice what she has prepared to do.
Unlike the millions of failed attempts, a successful leap of faith is subject to rules. Whether you’re a cliff diver, a mom wanting to explore new horizons, or a business owner searching for the next lever, the rules are the same.
The LEAP formula
1. Body rapport
If you are going to leap, you must have the physical energy and strength to support it. If you’re week, tired, broken or disconnected from your body, you will hesitate and likely fail.
Creating rapport requires 3 things:
- Nourishment: Healthy, clean eating will support the cells that support you. Along with the carcinogenic poisons you want to avoid, feeding your body crap will deliver an extremely damaging message -- “you’re not worth it!”
- Movement: A stagnant body prefers to remain stagnant. Movement creates momentum. Regular exercise is crucial to your leap.
- Hydration: Your body's cells are comprised of 70-80% water. The mind/body connection thrives on hydration.
2. Brutal honesty
You must have conscious/unconscious agreement. This requires understanding and quite often changing disempowering beliefs about yourself and the world.
If you believe you’re not capable or deserving or what you’re leaping towards, you will not leap. Be brutally honest with yourself; you do deserve and are capable of everything you seek. You must believe that with every hydrated cell of your being.
3. Temptation
After having connected with your body and coming to terms with what you truly deserve, you might still hesitate.
There will always be a level of fear and doubt associated with a life changing leap. Uncertainty supports the temptation to go back. It’s like an invisible force standing behind you, holding you by the neck. It’s why we often take one step forward and two steps back. That temptation is your overprotective ego -- and it’s scared to death of change.
The only true way to overcome this misguided temptation is to recognize it for what it is. Imagine it like and old drinking buddy. He or she doesn’t really want you to get sober. If you did, they wouldn’t have anyone to get drunk with anymore. Ultimately, if you take that leap, your ego will leap with you.
4. ABIF (Action Based in Faith)
In the movie Back to The Future, the reluctant hero, George McFly, is forced to confront his greatest fear, his arch enemy Biff.
The mild-mannered and soft-spoken McFly could never find the courage to stand up to the relentless bully. But in a climatic seen, McFly comes across Biff sexually assaulting Elaine, the woman of his dreams.
In that instant, he makes the conscious decision to act. He connects with his body, draws a deep breath and cocks his fist back -- but hesitates. It isn’t until a moment later when he realizes that it’s not about him or Biff at all, but about the woman he has to save, that he takes a massive leap of faith.
He glances back at his fist, then at Biff, and finally at Elaine. He then swings with everything his body can give. The haymaker catches Biff square on the chin and knocks him out cold. His life is forever changed.
What is your leap really about?
If your leap is exclusively about you, you will hesitate. It must be about something more than just you. It has to serve a bigger role in the universe.
Make your ABIF about inspiring, saving or supporting someone, or something else. Find that purpose and you will find the strength, courage and motivation to change not only yourself but the world.
Tom Terwilliger is equal parts athlete, entrepreneur and motivator. 5 years after pulling himself from the world of drug and alcohol abusing outlaw bikers Tom’s determination and willingness to sweat earned him a coveted Mr. America title and was the springboard to a successful 16 year career as a Fox Sports Net TV show host and the #1 bestselling author of 7 Rules of Achievement. Tom has taught thousands of individuals and organizations the empowering Leadership, Body Rapport strategies needed to take massive leaps forward in their lives, businesses and careers. Learn more at https://www.MaxMindset.com
