BOOK REVIEW

to third of Baptiste’s Eight Principles BY SOPHIE SANDERS

This is the third of eight articles to introduce Baron Baptiste’s Universal Principles for Stepping up to the Edge from his book “Journey into Power.

Just to refresh our memories, the first two principles are: 1. We are either now here or nowhere 2. Be in the now & you’ll know how

PRINCIPLE 3: GROWTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THERE IS

Growth begins with acceptance. You can only grow beyond where you are if you accept where you are in the first place.

In accepting the third principle, we must acknowledge what’s beyond our edge or our comfort zone is growth and possibilities. Our edge is formed by all our fears lined up in a row. It’s scary to step closer to it, so we stay back where we think it is safe.

We imagine that if we go up to face our fears, we will suffer heartache, sadness, frustration, failure, judgement, disappointment and other pain.

But if we look inwards, we may find we are already experiencing those pains already. So if we understand that our edge are just stories we’ve made up for ourselves, they are not who we are as human beings.

Baptiste has several ideas to consider for facing our fears:

• Fears, your edge, are your stories and they are not who you are as a human being. • Beyond the edge is your possible new future. • Rather than dropping your fears, consider getting out of their way. • It’s your choice to move forward or stay stagnant. • If you fight for your limitations, your only prize is you get to keep them. • When you quiet down and pay attention to your fears, they will have a lesser hold on you. And you will see clearly what needs to be done. • And what needs to be done, may not necessarily mean taking that leap. It could be staying and see what comes up. Your Edge could be just facing your fears. • Just by being brave enough to stand at the edge and being willing to see what’s possible, you are on the path of growth.

HOMEWORK When you are at your edge, it feels like your toes are up against the edge of the Grand Canyon and “you’re scared and you don’t know what you’re doing”.

So notice this feeling whenever it comes up. There’s nothing to do but just to acknowledge the fear. You don’t have to take the leap if you don’t want to.

Keep practising being at the Edge.

AFTERWARDS JOURNAL 1. Locate a time when I have leapt off the edge in my practice, teaching or life. 2. How does it look like and feel like when I fully connected and growing? 3. How has leaping off the edge been a contribution to me? 4. Where in my life right now, am I sitting on and away from the edge? Where am I stuck? 5. What does it look like and feel like when I’m not growing?

You can only begin to stretch your limits if you can see & embrace them.

You can never actually grow past your edge if you can’t see it clearly & willingly. — Baron Baptiste

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