When I was three-years-old, I jumped from an old pier right into the Atlantic ocean. I couldn't swim (true story, poor Mom!), but I was so curious I just jumped. It could’ve been deadly, but I love this story because it connects me with my audacious, spontaneous, and fearless self. Since then, I've jumped many times. I left home for college abroad at 17, transferred schools junior year, converted to Judaism at 22, got married at 23, had three children by 33, two master's degrees by 39, you get the picture. Professionally, I also jumped from event planning to publishing to education to coaching. Literally and metaphorically, I've always seen jumping as a powerful way to take charge.

What's so enticing about jumping? Well, for starters, it’s fun. The body gets to be on stage, front center, physically moving you forward which actually makes sense. Research shows that our body is wise and can sometimes be a better guide to action than our mind. For example, a famous study showed that if you regularly hold a pencil between your teeth (which forces your lips into a smile) you are more likely to report feeling happy. The mind reads your upturned lips as a sign of happiness even though you are artificially making it happen. So, when feeling mentally stuck, the very act of standing up, moving or jumping can reenergize you enough to get your thoughts and feelings moving too. It really works. Try it!

Whatever inspires you, jumping is also about the freedom to choose, the power to act, and the belief that a different perspective can shift things for the better. We all jump, more often than we realize, and it’s empowering to know that this option is already in our physical and psychological toolboxes. When I commit to a new direction, my heart races with energy as I imagine myself jumping all in. Fear is often there too, but it's usually overrun by the excitement of experiencing, learning, or simply trying something new.

In my coaching work, I help clients jump too. This usually involves expanding awareness, broadening perspectives, and ultimately creating clarity. Through goal and value clarification work, powerful questions, and visualization exercises sprinkled with positive psychology and mindfulness, I challenge clients to assess where they are right now and, most importantly, what "ocean" they'd like to jump into. Not long ago, I worked with a highly self-aware executive who felt unsettled in his new job. On paper it was a fantastic opportunity, but in reality it just wasn't fulfilling. After only a few coaching sessions, his path became unequivocally clear. He called me to say he was jumping: quitting his job and focusing on his start-up. Our work cleared the way and helped him move confidently towards his goals.

One of my favorite spiritual guides, Erica Brown, recently described this "jumping" as a space of “stable instability that keeps us both strong and vulnerable in an exquisite balance.” She quoted martial arts master Bruce Lee who said, “If you want to learn to swim, jump in the water. On dry land, no frame of mind is ever going to help you.” And, guess what? I did…I learned how to swim after my crazy ocean jump. Yet, something about experiencing “stable instability” firsthand must have felt amazing because story has it that after my mom rescued and scolded me, I audaciously replied, “Don’t get angry with me or I’ll jump again!” Go figure!

What about you? Are you ready to jump?

Let's do it!
Jessika