Faith Requires Risk
It's curious how some nuggets stick in our memory, tucked away in a brain nook reserved for once-important things that linger without a delete button, even as their relevance fades. Years ago, back when Oprah was still relevant she offhandedly said “when you ask God for patience you are going to be put into situations that require patience.”
Patience is a muscle, and like any muscle, it requires work to grow.
Oh, if only I’d had a crystal ball at the tail end of 2023, right when I was diving deep into my annual "Let's Conquer the Universe" planning sesh. You know the drill: that last week of December, when I’m plotting out the next 12 months like a general strategizing world domination. The goals list is epic – from the stamps I’ll collect in my passport, to the stack of books I’ll demolish, the good I’ll do with my charity dollars, how my biz is going to skyrocket, and the pièce de résistance – picking that magical word of the year that’s supposed to be my north star.
The quest for my word of the year was a real saga, a marathon of indecision. 'Surrender' caught my eye, whispering sweet nothings about letting go, but it felt a tad too familiar. After all, hadn't I been the queen of surrender during the tumult following my business partner breakup saga? Not exactly the vibe I'm aiming for in 2024. Then 'aggressive' strutted in, bold and brash, but honestly, that's not my jam—unless we're talking battle tactics at the cheese platter. That’s a battlefield I dominate with gusto. But after much heart-to-heart with myself, ‘Faith’ stood out, not just as a word, but as a beacon for 2024, encapsulating the blend of hope and courage, along with a nod to how I am growing in my life. It was settled, ‘Faith’ was not only my word for 2024, it was how I was going to approach life.
And let's be clear, I'm not just talking about having faith in the process or the universe—I mean the real, deep-down trust in God kind of faith. The drop to your knees, bow your head and have a meaningful conversation with God.
It didn’t take me long to realize that just like Oprah warned us about asking for patience, faith worked the same way. You aren’t automatically filled with faith simply because you have chosen it as the North Star for your year. You can however feel confident that you are going to repeatedly find yourself in situations that test your faith. It’s almost as if the universe is telling you “oh, you want to operate on faith this year? Let’s see how serious you are” and then kindly tosses situation after situation designed to test the very faith that you claim to have.
We were only weeks into the new year and I regretted my decision. I was not (and am not) ready for 12 months of testing my faith at every turn. Though admittedly I like the thought of how much stronger I’ll be heading into 2025 as a result of this work. And yes, it is work. Because every time I’m unsure of how something will work out, I have to rely on faith. And I have to remind myself that regardless of how things turn out, it will be okay. I have to have faith.
Faith requires risk.
When we do anything new we need to believe that the actions we take will lead us in the right direction. But more than that, we need to trust that we demonstrate faith by taking risks. This realization about faith wasn't confined to my personal life; it echoed loudly in my entrepreneurial journey, where faith shapes every decision, every risk.
When I have a potential new client I have to discuss my rates with the prospect before they begin to work with me. I have to trust that taking that risk of having that conversation will lead to the right outcome for everyone. Maybe my rates will be too high. Maybe they will be just right. But without taking the risk of having the conversation I’ll never know. Faith requires risk.
Launching a new product or service requires faith. Will anyone purchase it or will I launch to crickets? Does anyone need this service? Am I as much of an expert as I proclaim to be all over social media? Does anyone have a better product out there? Will I embarrass myself? Faith requires risk.
While our journey’s as entrepreneurs are all unique, they are also eerily similar. There are ups and downs, wins and losses, good decisions and bad mistakes. There are days you want to quit and days you are so engrossed in what you’re doing that you literally lose all track of time. And the one common theme that weaves all of those things together… faith.
I no longer regret choosing ‘Faith’ as my word for 2024. I have fully embraced that this year is going to be loaded with opportunities to grow my faith. But now that I understand that faith requires risk, I feel excited about whatever the Universe or God or Source are going to send my way. In embracing 'Faith,' I'm not just preparing for a year of personal growth—I'm tapping into a universal truth that guides us entrepreneurs: to venture boldly, armed with the conviction that faith, indeed, moves mountains.
xoxo
Julie
PS. Are you thinking about taking a leap of faith in your business? I’d love to chat about what that might look like. Book a call and let’s embrace the concept of faith requires risk together.