The restaurant was set to open January 13th, and we had no earthly idea how we would pay our home mortgage and other bills since I planned on keeping my salary and job while my managers built the restaurant business. Now, it was New Years Day, and I had no job, no salary and a restaurant opening that at worst would fail miserably or at best take a year to be profitable.

 

I thought of all this as I prepared to jump into the icy cold water-to take a symbolic plunge that this would be the year of NO FEAR. Regardless of the circumstances I was facing, this would be the year where I would trust and go for it. This would be the year I would be bold in actions and faith. No longer could I do it alone. Now I needed a miracle and I decided to act as if my future depended on me and pray like it depended on God.

 

By jumping into the ocean, I was declaring that no longer will I allow fear to cut off the flow of abundant and positive energy in my life. No longer will I allow fear to paralyze me. Instead of fear I would trust.

 

Now, twenty-three years later, I jumped into the ocean once again on New Year's Day (here's the video of me jumping in this year.) It has become my yearly ritual - to remind myself to follow my passion, live life to the fullest, surrender and to stay one step ahead of the fear that hovers around me.

 

And as I take my leap into the ocean, I want to invite you to jump in with me. Perhaps not in the ocean but in the depths of your mind. This jump doesn't necessarily require water but rather a leap of faith in your belief system and a shift in your mindset. The antidote to fear is trust and it is only a thought away.

 

No one is going to push you over the chasm of struggle to the life that you want. God will nudge you, but you must take the leap. You must make this jump in your mind and then with your actions. You must make this jump with trust, determination and faith.

 

After all, they don't call it a leap of fear. They call it a "leap of faith" for a reason.

 

You will always feel fear. Everyone will. But your trust must be bigger than your fear. The bigger your trust the smaller your fear becomes. And the more you trust the more you become a conduit for miracles. I know. A consulting project presented itself out of the blue and we were able to pay our mortgage. A check came in the mail, the right opportunities came our way and somehow, some way my family and I were carried. A year after the restaurant opened, I started writing which eventually led to me writing books, speaking and doing the work I do now.

 

Maybe 2023 wasn't a great year for you but I believe the New Year represents a fresh start and presents a new opportunity to create the life and career you want. All you have to do is jump in with all that you are and all that you wish to become. I wish you an amazing 2024 and I'm sending positive energy your way.

 

- Jon

 

P.S. People often ask me what happened to my restaurant. Well, thankfully I eventually opened 4 restaurants and sold them 19 years ago knowing it was time to focus 100% on writing. That was another big leap of faith that led to me writing 28 books (with others soon on the way). Thank you for your support and for sharing this message with others.