Leaning into Risk....One Pinky at a Time

I have had the honor of speaking and teaching on various topics (resiliency, sex addiction, betrayal, practice building, writing, connection) to wonderful audiences and good hearted groups of people all over the country. One of the concepts I often discuss is what I call, "living and loving with open palms." I think about it this way:

If I live and I love holding all of what I have tightly in my fisted hands...it is true that nothing will escape - not my knowledge, or support, or information, not my time, not my love, nor my money, or my opportunities...nada will slip away from my tight grasp, nothing is lost, zip is risked.

But nothing gets in either. 

Nothing new can enter those tightly closed "fists." No more knowledge, or support, or information, or increased time, or financial abundance, or opportunities, or blessings. Nothing can enter a heart, a life, a relationship, a job, a project, a tribe, a team, an organization, or a family when the exits are all sealed shut due to fear, anger, bias, competitiveness, or unresolved heartbreak or trauma. 

The key to opening that locked down space is the willing to risk. 

Risk means different things to different people. For some it means learning to forgive, or learning to trust self, or learning to find your voice, or putting your idea out in the world. For me, it meant learning to tolerate the formerly intolerable which was uncertainty and the fear of being hurt and taken advantage of...again. 

But I don't want to live a life with closed fists. That is not living. That is not a life. So I leaned into risk. And I continue to do so.

For many years now I have practiced my concept of of "living with open palms." In doing so, my knowledge, support, information, money, healing, and love flow out from what I have been gifted with. And as I flow out into other people's worlds, helping, extending (and yes, with boundaries and honoring my time) a beautiful experience manifests. Every. Single. Time. More knowledge, support, information, abundance, love, humor, and opportunity flows in to the space created from my flowing out to support others.

If this little message in a bottle that I have placed on the ocean of the Internet has found its way to your shore today, and if this little message of hope resonates with your heart, I encourage you to risk just a little and open your palms up to what adventures and goodness await you. 

How do you do that?

By risking, by reaching out and supporting someone, by kindly answering a question, by taking a moment to give something that you have been gifted with, by extending grace, by giving without the expectation of that being returned. 

You don't have to do it all at once if that is too scary...even one little "pinky" finger at a time is enough. 

Standing in support!

Kindly,
Mari 

‪#‎youareworththerisk‬
www.growthcounselingservices.com