Joseph Campbell, the renowned mythologist, tells of a young Native American at the time of initiation being given these encouraging words by an elder:
As you go the way of life, you will see a chasm, JUMP. It is not as wide as you think.
These words have come to hold special meaning to me at several pivotal points in my life. In reviewing my life, I see a number of times when I stood at that abyss and simply camped out there. What consistently held me back was fear of failure. I am not sure why failure was so frightening, but as I grow older and wiser I realize failure is not something to be feared, but rather learned from.  After graduating from college with a degree in Communications, I  headed straight to sales. I excelled in sales but I knew this was not my passion.  I was volunteering at the Erie Zoo and at a wildlife rehabilitation center and I loved it. In the meantime, I faced the sad realization that a marriage I had entered into at 20 was not working. Our mutual decision to divorce had probably been the widest chasm I had lept at that time.  Divorce and all the losses associated with it caused me to take a long hard look at all the decisions I had made in my life.  I realized that the only thing holding me back was myself.  I knew I had wanted to be a veterinarian for years but was intimidated by 4 more years of school and the difficult subject matter.  Gradually, I started taking the prerequisites for veterinary school. My next step was on the horizon: applying for veterinary school.  This time as I stood at the precipice I jumped.  You can follow your dreams too. It is not as far as YOU think.