if you're going to jump...

Image found {here}

A few weeks ago, a delightful friend gave me a book called, "The Pocket Muse: Ideas and Inspirations for Writing." Thumbing through the book, I found a quote that I haven't been able to forget: "Make your characters more than they are. If you're going to jump, jump off a cliff, not a chair..."
I think the reason I haven't been able to get this quote out of my head is because it has merit not only in writing, but also in life. If you want to live life out loud and in color, you have to leap- and a chair isn't going to cut it. From personal experience I know how easy it is to fall into patterns of safe behavior. It's easy and doesn't require you to get uncomfortable. But sometimes (okay, maybe a lot of times) it's worth the risk of falling if it means you get to be BOLD. Maybe I haven't forgotten the quote because I've recognized a lack of leaping in my own life. We weren't created to be timid- not with the way we love, serve, interact, or live- and I don't want to be timid anymore. I think life, especially the season of life I'm in right now, is for leaping. All signs point to a big ledge coming up in my near future and I'm making a promise to myself right now be bold and take leaps.