Take the Leap

By Griffin Sendek

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Almost all notable achievements were only ever accomplished by taking risks. Now there is merit in playing it safe; in many ways taking the simple, paved path will always be the smartest, most logical thing to do. But sometimes, in order to make the smartest decisions in our lives, it’s necessary to be a little bit illogical.

Somewhere along the line, we start to become so risk-averse we can’t take the chance and do the one thing that can set our career up for the better. It’s like we’re chained to the ground, and we know that if we just stay put, we won’t get ourselves hurt. Taking the leap seems too dangerous, too impossible.

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But we didn’t become artists and creatives because it was the “safe” thing to do; we didn’t choose this life because it was the most logical decision. In some ways, we're all just a teeny bit idiotic to think we’re actually something special and have the potential to make it in these cut-throat artistic industries.

I believe that a little bit of delusion is why we got started in the first place. I nearly made the biggest mistake of my life and almost got myself a business degree because I was so unsure of what I wanted to do that I thought the safest option would be the best option. I knew I had so much more potential, and that set me on the path I am on today.

Success is not tied to risk; it’s possible to take almost zero risk, take the safe path and still kite along successfully enough to keep living the same life. There is such a strong urge to keep on doing whatever’s working, to just stay along the safe path that’s been carved for you. But is that what you really want? Before consigning yourself to going down that road, look at where it leads. Look at your life now, and ask yourself, “If almost nothing changed for the next decade, ‘would I still be happy’”?

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10 years from now, will you be looking back at yourself today and questioning, “Why didn’t I do something more? Why didn’t I take that leap”?

If you don’t like your answer, now is the time to make that change before it’s too late.

The longer you wait, the harder it is to make the jump. Adult life moves fast, the more we have tying us down to a single place, the more obligations we have to our current life, the deeper our roots sink into the ground, the harder it is to release yourself.

Persistent fear can hold us back from our full potential. It can be petrifying. There often comes a pivotal moment to make a conscious decision to push past our doubts, take a risk, and commit wholeheartedly to what we want.

The fear and apprehension of taking the leap are not misplaced. Making giant career shifts, moving cities, severing partnerships and starting new ones, quitting jobs, starting new businesses, none of it is a clear line to success and happiness, and it often takes a lot more work and forces you to be in a period of deep uncertainty of the future. Unfortunately, many people can’t afford major life changes, nor are they in a place to live without the security and safety net of their current life.

This is why when the window to take the leap presents itself– when the risk is calculated, and it's possible to come out on top, don’t squander that opportunity; There might not be another chance.

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I'm the first to admit I might be foolish, illogical, or idiotic, but I’ve got a dream that resides in Los Angeles, and my chance to take that leap across the country is approaching–no matter what I do, I’m not missing my shot.

My life in Pittsburgh is not the life I want to live, and I don’t want just to survive. In this city, I know my career will never reach the place I want it to be. I know now is my time and chance to get out.

While I might not have everything planned out, I don’t even know what this next year has in store for me; I’m confident that taking this leap will be the biggest change to the trajectory of life ever. I know in my heart this is the leap I need to take.