Six months ago, I did something I never thought I would have the confidence… or guts… to do.

I jumped off a cliff.

Well, not literally.

I made the decision to leave my stable job, with benefits, of 30 years and strike out on my own.

I am NOT a risk-taker. Stable. Dependable. Steady. These have been my mottos for a lifetime. I’m a Taurus, for goodness sake!

What made me take such a leap of faith? Many things went into the decision, but the bottom line was that where I was in life was not where I wanted to be. And staying put was no longer an option if I wanted a happy, healthy life. I was starting to become someone I did not recognize or like, and I couldn’t continue to let that happen.

I also realized that change and true life transformation wasn’t going to happen in my comfort zone.

Please don’t take this post to mean that I think everyone should do what I did. Sometimes “jumping off a cliff” is not an option. If you have family and other obligations that would make walking away from your current situation right now unwise, if not downright dangerous, then you should be much more cautious.

But whether you have the flexibility that I did to make a sudden and drastic life change or you have to move much more slowly, I would like you to consider these questions?

1. Am I happy?
2. If not, why?
3. Is there anything I can do today to help me be happier?
4. Where would I like to be in life this time next year? In five years?
5. How can I get there?

Charlie Chaplin said, “Nothing is permanent in this wicked world – not even our troubles.”

If dissatisfied is your regular state of mind, know that it doesn’t have to be permanent. Allow yourself to dream about something better. From dreams come plans. From plans… actions. Even if you have to go slowly and take only baby steps toward something different, any forward movement is progress. And you are worth it.