“I have not always chosen the safest path. I’ve made my mistakes, plenty of them. I sometimes jump too soon and fail to appreciate the consequences. But I’ve learned something important along the way: I’ve learned to heed the call of my heart. I’ve learned that the safest path is not always the best path and I’ve learned that the voice of fear is not always to be trusted.”

Steve Goodier

Life is meant to be lived leaning forward. We are built to push, stretch our abilities, and go beyond what we think we can do.  God created us to serve others and He doesn’t limit our ability to do this, but instead gives us the capacity to choose how to serve, how to grow, how to push.  He gives us both the ability and the choice.  

But we can’t grow if we aren’t all the way at the edge of our comfort zone, peering past what is “safe” and into what could be.  We can’t and won’t grow if we aren’t at the edge of fear.  I am reading an absolutely fascinating book titled “Willpower Doesn’t Work” that highlights how much more we can grow when we are uncomfortable, when we intentionally create an environment that forces us to grow and change.  I can’t put it down and while I haven’t finished it yet I can already tell this is going to be one of those books that joins my annual reading list to help push me forward and jumpstart growth whenever I become comfortable and complacent.  

I love this quote today because it reminds me that if I want to grow, I must be willing push beyond safety and into the unknown.  My heart can guide me, but only if I am willing to listen and then take the step towards becoming the person God created me to be.