The message carved in the stump

A young man set out on the journey of his life. He set his course, followed his North Star, and moved forward with purpose.

Before long, he reached a ravine with a raging river. Not wanting to risk the water below, he decided to look for another way.

He reset his course, followed his North Star, and moved forward with purpose. This time, he reached a gorge. Hundreds of feet down, razor sharp rocks.

He looked up and down the gorge for a bridge to carry him across, but there were none. He cursed his bad luck.

So again, he reset his course, followed his North Star, and moved forward with purpose. But again, reached a chasm. This one more terrifying than the previous.

Standing at the edge, he wished he was back at the ravine. Or even the gorge. They didn’t seem so impossible now. 

Perhaps he might have already reached his destination had he crossed at the first opportunity, or even the second.

He wandered. Half searching for a way across. Half wondering if one existed. Maybe his journey was doomed from the start. Maybe he’d missed his opportunities and was stuck here.

Then he saw it. A tree stump, not far from the edge. A perfect spot to rest and figure out what to do. But as he approached the stump, he noticed something carved into the top. Letters. Words.

“Leap. It’s not as far as you think.”

He stared across the chasm, then re-read the words carved into the tree stump. He considered his course and his North Star. He stood up.

It was time to move forward with true purpose.

With a deep breath and a running start . . .

. . . he leaped.

Make the leap. Do the work.