Sometimes You’ve Got to Leap (and Fall)

I don’t like being wrong. I don’t seek out mistakes, and I certainly don’t enjoy failing. I’d rather get things right the first time, rather than stumble through the unknown. Yet, life has a way of nudging us off the comfortable path—and sometimes, that’s exactly where growth begins.

Growth doesn’t come from staying in the shade. Sometimes you have to step into the sun, face the elements head-on, and let the rain fall. You learn to weather the storm, to move through discomfort instead of around it.

In my training, stepping out of my comfort zone has been one of the hardest things. To see a ledge, knowing I have to jump—without knowing where the ground is beneath me, or whether I’ll even fly—can be terrifying. Still, I’ve tried. I’ve tried to step up to the challenge, to volunteer, to be fully present, and to engage as much as I can.

There have been times when it felt like I’d completely failed—when every step forward seemed to land me two steps back. Times I wondered if I should reconsider this path altogether, questioning whether I was cut out for it. Times I embarrassed myself in ways that made me want to shrink and hide.

And yet, in looking back, those moments of uncertainty, doubt, and discomfort are the moments that have shaped me the most—they’ve taught me resilience, humility, and the quiet strength of simply showing up.

The Bhagavad Gita reminds us:"Better to do one’s own dharma imperfectly than to perfectly perform another’s."

I’m learning to take that to heart. To meet failure with patience and compassion—for myself and for the process. To practice non-attachment, to welcome mistakes and stumbles with the same openness I give to moments of success. Because stepping into your own path—even imperfectly, even shakily—is where real growth and strength are found. Sometimes, you have to leap without knowing where you’ll land, and trust that falling is not the end, but part of learning to rise.