I invite you to close your eyes.
Let yourself imagine what life would have been like 6 million years ago when your ancestors were chimp-like apes who lived in the African forests.
Imagine that you are one of these primates.
On this particular day,
You're swinging from a tree,
Looking for food.
One branch after another.
Your arms are starting to get tired.
Where are all the berries?
When come to think of it,
It hasn't been raining as much either.
The climate is changing and the forest is drying out,
Diminishing the food you're used to eating.
You and your fellow primates are faced with a challenge you've never seen before.
You have a choice,
To stay in the forest and hope that things get better or venture out into the savanna desert and see what else is out there.
What do you do?
Do you stay in the forest or do you leave?
Those who stayed in the forest don't make it,
While those who went against all odds and braved the desert survive.
Because your ancestors left the forest and went into the desert,
They evolved to walk on two feet and experienced an increase in brain size.
If all of the primates had clung to the forest,
You might not be here today.
It's easy to cling to the way things have been out of familiarity,
Just like the primates thought they were meant for the forest.
But if we don't take risks,
We won't adapt and evolve.
Take a moment to check in with yourself.
What inner calling scares you the most?
What's the thing you long to do but it terrifies you?
It's okay to be afraid,
But it's important to face your fear.
You might just be the one who leads us in a new direction that allows us to survive.
We each owe it to ourselves and the world to take the risk and pursue the calling that's brewing inside of us.
