The River Awaits
If I asked you right now, “How are you doing?” I mean really doing, what would your honest answer be? Would you smile and say, “I’m good,” even if you’re barely holding it together? Would you whisper, “I feel stuck,” and afraid to admit you’ve been standing still for far too long? Or maybe, just maybe, you’d boldly declare, “I’m ready and I’m already on the path to transformation.”
Transformation is not just another word for change, it’s an act of courage, a wholehearted leap into something bigger than where you’ve been. It means deciding that staying stuck in the mud is no longer an option. It means trusting yourself enough to step forward, even when you don’t know exactly where the path will lead.
A few years ago, while on vacation, I found myself literally and figuratively on the edge of change. I was standing on the steep bank of a river flowing from a gorgeous waterfall. The sound of rushing water was both soothing and intimidating, like it was calling me to decide: stay where you are, or move forward.
Getting to the waterfall meant climbing down that jagged bank, balancing on the slick rock bed, and stepping into the icy water that rushed by with a mind of its own. I watched others take the leap: some moved carefully, some slipped and laughed, but they made it across.
Meanwhile, I stood frozen, my inner voice rattling off every “what if.” What if I fall? What if I look foolish? What if it’s too hard? But then another voice whispered louder, “What if I don’t fall? What if I make it across? What if this is exactly the leap I need to take to remind myself that I am braver than I believe?”
And right there, on that rocky riverbank, I chose to trust myself. The tour guide standing in the water below held out his hand, and I stepped down, shaky, breathless, but so ready to feel what it’s like to cross the waters into something new.
Life is a lot like that river, isn’t it? We stand on the edge, afraid to leave the comfort of what we know, even when that comfort has turned to stagnation. We wait for the right moment, the perfect conditions, the guarantee that it will all work out before we move.
But transformation doesn’t wait for perfect. It asks us to get uncomfortable, to feel the chill, to trust that we can steady ourselves on each slippery stone. It’s messy, rocky, sometimes freezing, but it’s also exhilarating, soul-expanding, and life-giving.
If you feel stuck, maybe you don’t have to swim across the entire river in one giant leap. Maybe it starts with your toes in the water. One brave step. Then another. Then another.
Here are a few simple steps to help you cross into your own transformation:
Start small. Pick one area of your life you’re ready to shift
Learn from those who’ve crossed before and will cheer you on
Take baby steps if needed. Progress is still progress, even if it’s slow
Stay curious. Mistakes and detours are part of the adventure
Be kind to yourself. Your journey is yours alone, own it
Celebrate every tiny victory. You’re doing it!
Transformation isn’t something you do in isolation. The river is wide and deep, but you don’t have to cross it alone. There’s a hand waiting for you, sometimes a friend, a coach, a mentor, or even the small, clear voice inside you that says, “Yes, you can.”
So here I am, holding out my hand to you, just like that tour guide did for me. Will you take it?
What would happen if you dared to say YES? To trust your intuition, to loosen your grip on the familiar, and to step into the river of change that’s calling your name? I believe in you. You are worth the leap. Let’s cross the waters together because the river awaits.
xo Sheryl
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