Frodo left the Shire.
Elsa fled from Arendelle.
Moana finally crossed the reef.
Harry ran headlong into Platform 9 ¾.
Mr. Anderson took the red pill, and became Neo.
Every story worth telling (and worth living) requires the crossing of a threshold. A choice must be made to either remain in the confines of what is known, or step into the void of what is possible.
Interestingly, the question “what happens if I leave?” is NOT what drove the characters above into the actions they chose.
Instead, each had to face the deeper internal realization of “what happens if I stay?” It was this gut check that finally clarified the reality that what was possible surpassed what was known.
We rarely - if ever - know what will happen if we follow the yearnings of our souls. But we can pretty well imagine our fate if we ignore that ache. The cost of staying far outweighs the pains of growing.
The invitation is to become. Real life is deeper down and further in.
Elsa tosses her cape and tiara singing, “I’m never going back, the past is in the past.”
What’s the invitation for you? What’s your threshold? What might you learn? Who might you become?
What happens if you stay?
