Leap after leap, in the dark

“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.” – Agnes De Mille

If I've learned one thing at The Hivery, it's that small actions matter. And, they matter big time. Sometimes all that is holding us back is a fear of taking even the smallest step, for fear we fall.

I know I've hid behind my fears before...making excuses like, "I'm too busy." or "I should be focusing on other things." or "I'll get to this when things settle down with my kids." or "This isn't the right time for me.".

But, the truth is, and we know it inside, it's really a fear blockage, caused by the very practical reality that small actions lead to more action, more momentum, and ultimately something larger...dare I say, it might lead to something you actually want for yourself? And big things can be scary. We stop ourselves, pace ourselves, make excuses inside why we can't put ourselves out there just a little bit. For fear we fail, for fear no one shows up, for fear that it's a dumb idea. 

But, in all likelihood, it's not a dumb idea. It's a wonderful, brilliant idea. And sharing it with the world makes you feel alive and vibrant and uniquely you. And, it reminds you of all you have to offer this world, all that you bring to the table, all that you have learned, experienced, and feel. So, we make choices...do we stifle it, delay, hide it in the privacy of our own minds? Or, do we unleash it, voice it, and take small (sometimes imperfect!) actions toward expressing who we are?

The picture you see here was a consequence of a small, imperfect action. I wanted to create a dance film in tribute to my Mom, who passed away in 2011. There were tons of reasons not to do it. I hadn't danced professionally in ten years, I couldn't come up with what I felt was the right choreography, I wasn't sure I had any business creating a dance film (no, I had never done anything like this before). But one day, I emailed a friend, and asked if she knew anyone who might help me with this personal passion project. It took me a year to send that email. And the rest unfurled. I took another small step to meet with a talented, young film director. I took another small step to select a song. And so on...until today, I received the final edit of my tribute film. It took many small steps (all of which were pretty scary), but it led to something important, meaningful, and more importantly, something I really, really wanted to create. I'll share more on the film with you soon (via a small action, no less). 

So, today's challenge is this...take one small step towards something you're cultivating for yourself, and share that one small step with at least one person (or if you would be so kind, open, and gracious, please share it in the comments section below). You have 48 hours. Go. 

Want to work on your small step at The Hivery? Email [email protected] to set up a tour.