JUMP

If there is anything I have learned in my 33 trips around the sun, it’s to trust my instincts and jump. This blog is no different. I was casually scrolling the socials with my coffee before getting ready to finish this amazing book I’m reading called “Make Change” by Shaun King when something said “Write a blog about the jump!” The universe is telling me someone needs this message, and I’m here to share it! So, what do I mean when I say jump? I’m really talking about movement. Movement forwards, backwards, sideways, anyways- The goal is just to move and get out of your own way.

Dictionary.com defines Jump (verb) as:
“ to spring clear of the ground or other support by a sudden muscular effort; leap:”

Our strength moves us, it changes our lives and we each have our own unique strengths to move us forward in life. We are not meant to be stuck in the mundane. We build strength in our experiences and the experiences of others. Then, we use that strength and knowledge to make change in our lives, and hopefully, the world.

Change is scary AF, but it’s the one thing we will all experience for the entirety of our lives, so why not work with change rather than against it?
This is where the jump comes in; you have to take the chance and embrace change. I’ll share 5 personal examples of when the Jump radically changed my life.

1. 16 years old- I went to 13 different schools between kindergarten and my senior year in high school. My junior year in high school I was told that I was not going to graduate on time because my credits didn’t transfer correctly between school districts. Even though I had not failed any classes I was falling through the cracks of the system. Luckily for me I had an amazing compassionate counselor who bent the rules for me and allowed me to get into running start. As a 16 year old with 2 jobs I did not feel that I was ready to commit to college but I took the jump. I graduated with 4 more credits than I needed, honors in arts and communication, a varsity letter in gymnastics and had a year of college under my belt by the time I graduated high school at 17. THAT JUMP CHANGED MY LIFE
2. 21 years old – Engaged to my Jr. High sweetheart, who essentially turned into a psychopath around the age of 18 years old. I spent 3 years in hell, with all the abuses you can imagine. In one instant my mind had the clarity to leave and I packed up all my fear and I jumped. I left, I hid, I got a restraining order and I never looked back. THAT JUMP CHANGED MY LIFE
3. 24 years old- In a new relationship but we couldn’t afford to rent, his credit was trash, I was only making $17 an hour and I was scared to buy a home all by myself. I took the jump, bought the home. THAT JUMP CHANGED MY LIFE
4. 30 years old – married to a cheating lying man with severe personality disorder, yet I’m chronically and hopelessly in love. I have debt up to my ears -and in my name only- from supporting us for 8 years, living in a rural area with no one close by but I rolled the dice – I stood up for myself, refusing to settle and he left- I jumped and fast tracked our divorce while building a 3-5 year plan to dig myself out of the debt. THAT JUMP CHANGED MY LIFE
5. 32 years old – at a job that literally saved my life a time or two. Saw me through leaving an abusive relationship, buying my first home, my marriage, my divorce. This job and the people there changed my life, but I was presented with an opportunity to work with a start up and I jumped. THAT JUMP CHANGED MY LIFE

In all of the instances above I was scared, I didn’t know if I was making the right choice. I second guessed myself into oblivion but in the end I listened to my intuition and I made the jump. Those jumps have been the defining moments in my life where I have moved through change in order to build myself to a version that I am proud of. I’ve shared some pretty big jumps with all of you but jumps can be small, and they almost always start that way. They can be choosing to work out in the morning 3 days a week, it can be increasing your water intake, quitting smoking, putting a boundary in place with a friend or family member, or deciding on a hobby to pursue. Jumps can be small, they don’t always have to be large. Like i said, most jumps actually start out small, but they have a ripple effect on our lives. What I want everyone to be able to see is that the jumps initiate the change and if you listen to your intuition and get really intentional about what you want you can create it, I promise you this.

Not sure where to start?Try making a vision board, maybe you write down one goal, or even just have it in your mind, then JUMP in to taking action. The decision comes first, then it’s up to you to JUMP and set the energy for change

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

You can change your life

Need some more inspiration? Maybe Kris Kross can help Click for Inspiration