Surviving the Waterfall
Filed Under (Life) by Nick on 30-09-2007
Surviving the Waterfall
I recently took a trip to Yosemite with my son and we hiked up to the top of Vernal Fall. On our way up, we took a break at the base of the waterfall. It was purely majestic in nature that energized us for the steep climb to the top. It was a beautiful site and safe to see from the misted rocks off to the side.
At the top, there were guard rails secured into the rock that allowed us to walk right up to the edge and look over and down to where we were sitting earlier. Even though I had about 80% trust in the guard rails, I couldn’t help from feeling the fear as I looked over the edge.
How many times have you come close to the edge of a life changing event, and walked away because of the overwhelming fear of the unknown between where you are now and what you envision in the future? How many times have you faced the fear and risked the waterfall plunge because you knew that your future was worth the risk? Of course, there are also times that we are in the river and have little choice as life pushes us over the edge and we fall down that waterfall, skipping the fear and landing devastated.
Whatever the reason of why there’s a waterfall in your life, in order to survive it, you have to realize that it is transforming your life. You can’t sit there forever at the base of the waterfall looking up and weeping because you’re not where you used to be. Sure, it was safe and you knew your surroundings. Now, you’re faced with uncharted water.
To help you move forward, I recommend that you read through the 8 Strategies to Get the Most from Painful or Awkward Life Transitions that I recently found on the Escape from Cubicle Nation blog. Pamela offers some great insight into what some of these waterfalls could be and how to get through them. It’s well worth the read.
