Take the Next Step, Take the Risk - episode 87
Melody has lots of energy by her own admission. Instead of following the typical American retirement route, she takes her passion and encourages others by serving in Africa. She and her husband spend the majority of their time doing what they can to make a difference. Wow!
I was struck by the degree of sacrifice Melody, lovingly, is willing to give. Her faith allows her to stay optimistic even when times are dark and difficult. I’m not sure I could do what she does. I am thankful there are people who commit themselves to that thing they feel compelled to do. I know we all have something we need to share, and it takes all of us to do that unique thing to make it all work better. To make us better.
Developer. Achiever. Kind (and compassionate).
— Melody Taylor
Just do it
Thoughts from Take the Next Step, Take the Risk
I definitely felt a connection with Melody as we spoke. Maybe it was her passion to serve (inspiring), our similar ages (third act - yes!) or our shared faith (solid). Any way you slice it, I enjoyed our time together.
In reflecting on the past 18 months (exactly, to the day) I have expanded my knowledge of what is possible. I faced the fear of putting the podcast out there. Would anyone listen? Would others find value in the conversations? What if it all fails? And here is what I learned…
Do the thing you feel inspired, excited and a little bit afraid of, anyway. You will not regret trying and you will learn so much along the way.
To do some tech stuff like create a website, record/edit/produce a podcast, upload it to multiple platforms, and navigate social media. Did I think I could before this? No!
Connections were made literally all over the globe and I wouldn’t trade these for anything. Off the top of my head: Enitan in Nigeria, Lizzy in Australia, Carla in Portugal/Mexico, My-Linh in Netherlands, Vivienne in Canada and Nicola in Whales. Not to mention others from the good ol’ US of A.
Friends and family come through by listening to the show, and in some cases, being a guest.
Men are listening and want the nuggets shared by UY guests. Ridiculously grateful and pleasantly surprised.
The wisdom shared! Getting under water, qualifying language, finding your people, head down/heart open, be happy anyway, and never be afraid to ask. There are oodles more. Seriously I am thinking of compiling them into a book. Any thoughts on that?
The deep fulfillment that comes from seeing UY has been to 46 countries, 48 states, 1 district and 3 territories of the US. We are still waiting on West Virginia and Rhode Island!
From all the ways UY has been experienced, I had a fire to find another way to share. I was recruited to take an online course in coaching and that is the next endeavor as I’ve written about in a former, recent blog post. I am eager to speak life and encouragement as I venture into self-discovery and fulfillment coaching. This is what UY has brought me - a deeper understanding of who I am and the expansion of feeling full, in the best way possible. Wanting others to have that.
Stay tuned. There is more beyond the horizon. And I am delighted by the challenge and ready to quell my fears and as Nike once said, Just do it.
Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.
— Suzy Kassem
