JUMP.......

The springboard into the adventure of living
Is Self-Confidence --
That ability we all have to be in trust with ourselves,
The willingness to confide in ourselves.

What? You don't think you have the ability for Self Confidence?
Take it from one who lost it long before he knew it
And spent his life looking for it,
Often down many blind alleys......

• Confidence in self is readily available
• Your ability of connect with it is available
• Both are as close as one word -- "Yes"
• No-one is going to force you to say "Yes". For as long as you insist upon, and justify Lack of self-confidence, you are welcome to have all the attendant experiences that flow from your choice. Knock yourself out. When you change your mind, "I" will be around.

The kind of confidence I speak of
Has an utterly different feel to it
From cocksureness, conviction, rightness, smugness, certitude,
And even credit, belief, hope or faith.
True Confidence
Arises from, and radiates a quiet repose and humility,
An inherent secureness, quietitude and tranquility.
Real confidence oozes latent Is-ness.

When our level of felt self-confidence is lowered
In times of separation and stress,
We shrink back from the edge of Opportunity.
Our minds fill up with all manner of rational, valid, justifying reasons
For not taking The Jump --
Explanations that make "good sense"
And seem to help us look good to our selves
And to others.
Oh, how right we are!

Jumping is essential to growing,
Kids know that;
And it is always a risk,
So-called grown-ups resist that.
We've learned to give more credence to Fear than to Destiny.
We don't jump when the clear and present fear of the risk is more powerful
Than the as-yet unproven benefits of the jump.

Well, what is the risk?
Fear of the death of what?
Stand in that question for a while.

What else feels risky?
Fear of letting go of the familiar?
(Better the devil you know.....)
Fear of falling back upon yourself?
(Not knowing if there's anyone there.)
Fear of dying to what you think you are
Without any certainty of what will remain?
Lack of trust?
What is trust, if not the sensing, recognising and realising
That my truest self is immortal and abundant
And willing to surrender to this life
Just as it is.

We were born in un-adult-erated Trust,
But we didn't know it.
Then we lost contact with it.
That was part of the deal,
So that we could experience the pure joy of consciously finding Trust again,
And getting to know it for the first time.

Trust is re-discovered when we choose to drop all conditions
And re-open ourselves to What-Is,
Letting go all all our "good reasons" for numbing ourselves.

Numbing myself was "killing me softly."