One of my favorite cartoons when I was a little kid was Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle. I thought he was The Man and I secretly hoped that one day I would somehow live in a jungle world and be just like him.
What was there not to like?!
...He had huge muscles, which as a scrawny 8-year-old I was hoping I would have one day.
...He would belt out that awesome yell when he beat on his chest that would summon all of his animal friends. I just thought that was so cool and imposing and would practice it all the time.
...And he had Jane! Total. Babe.
But the coolest part of being Tarzan in my opinion would have been the ability to swing around the jungle from one vine to another. The grace and skill with which he glided through the rain forest mesmerized me as a young boy.
He would start high on a branch, grab hold of a vine, and launch himself into the void. Gravity would pull his body on a gentle arc towards the ground and then his momentum would drive him back upwards. And then, this was the best part, right as his upward momentum was about to die he would let go of the vine, float through the air, and snatch the next vine to safety. If there has ever been a cooler way to get around, I haven't seen it.
But imagine for a second what it would have looked like if Tarzan was scared...
Imagine if he gave in to that fear and refused to let go of that first vine, and all of the security and certainty that came with it. He would never have gotten anywhere! He would have just swung back-and-forth on the same vine....pretty lame if you ask me.
The only way that Tarzan could get to the next vine was to let go; to let go of what he knew, to let go of the security of the vine that he was holding, and to trust that what came next was going to work out, that he would reach another vine.
Often, there comes a point in our lives where the thing that we are holding on to the tightest actually becomes the thing that is holding us back the most. For Tarzan to fully commit to that next vine he had to let go of the one he was holding on to.
What are you holding on to which is actually holding you back?
What is it that gives you security and safety but is also keeping you from taking the next leap in your growth?
It's time to let go of that old vine. Take the leap! Trust that when you let go of that thing, the next vine will be hanging there waiting for you. Have confidence in yourself that you will be able to latch on to it and continue advancing...And feel free to let out a Tarzan-esque yell while you're doing it.