In sports there is a play called the "Hail Mary," which basically is an attempt to do something incredibly difficult or challenging. Quarterback Roger Staubach successfully threw a 50 yard pass during the 1975 NFC Divisional Championship when the Dallas Cowboys were trailing 14-10 to the Minnesota Vikings. Starbuck later coined the effort as a "Hail Mary" and the name stuck. A 3-pointer from mid-court was considered a "prayer shot." Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson breaking the record for making the most 3-shots or Michael Jordan's flying through the air to dunk the ball have become so commonplace the difficulty seems all but gone. Now we expect those shots to be made with more regularity and consistency and we bemuse the athletes if they fail.
In therapy I see "Hail Mary's" and "Prayer Shots" all the time. This week several clients shared their recent decisions to go back to school, to start a new business, and author a book. They beam as they share how they "never thought I could" has become, "I believe I can." It is the greatest gift for a therapist to know something said in therapy resinated so much with the client that they are willing to take a leap of faith to change their life drastically.
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for
and assurance about what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
Life is risky. Every day is a gift from God. Why are we so afraid to take a risk on living a life that could bring us the most amazing blessings? Because we are afraid. Fear keeps us from taking a chance on something that we could risk losing. We don't pursue a dream because it's easier to keep it safe as a dream than to realize we tried and lost it. Unfortunately, all success requires risk and the more risky the dream the more we have to lose. To get to your dreams you have to go through the fear of failure and accept failure as just part of the process of getting to your dreams. Michael Jordan, Klay Thompson, and Roger Starbuck didn't make every basket, touch down, or win every game. They have more losses than they have wins, yet their success is world-known. They were willing to take a risk, to put in the effort, to be willing to fail, in order to achieve their dreams.
Today, take a risk on something that is a dream. Step out in faith that even if you fail, you will continue in confidence that you will live the life you were meant to have.
Day 12: Risk