Shark Infested Waters Ahead… Maybe

Taking a leap of faith can be scary. When I was a young child, I used to have a reoccurring dream, and at the end of the dream, I began to fall into shark infested water, and just as I started to fall, I would wake up. Doing something new, that has no definitive end or outcome reminds me of that dream. When you don’t know how the story ends, it’s easy to imagine that the outcome will be disastrous; like getting eaten alive by sharks.  But what if, as only dreams can do, I landed in the water and they weren’t really sharks at all, but dolphins that wanted to take me for a ride on an amazing adventure? That ending would be worth taking the leap of faith.

Because I wore fear like concrete blocks on my feet that have always held fast and have never failed me, I may not have ever stepped out of my comfort zone to take this new leap of faith called #TabSaid. A challenge from a dear friend who asked me, “Tab, what is your dream” changed everything. I knew that I couldn’t sugar coat, and hide behind fear, or embarrassment, he would see right through that. I was worried my friend would laugh or worse, think I was crazy, but I mustered up the courage and spit it out. “I want to be a game show host” I exclaimed.  We both laughed, and then my friend asked me why. Those two questions lead to a conversation, then some exploration and on to the Journey that is #TabSaid.

I am surrounded by the most amazing family, mentors and friends who serve as cheer leaders, and sounding boards. They have supported and encouraged me to keep going and to press on even when it’s hard, or I don’t think I know what I am doing.

Unfortunately, we can’t always know the ending. When I embarked on the #TabSaid adventure, I took a leap of faith, that I could do it. That I could be a motivational speaker and make a difference in the world by sharing my stories. I wondered if there would be critics. I wondered if I would embarrass myself in front of others. I also wondered if a life would be touched, or a day brightened in some way. In just a short time, all of these things have come to be true, the fears and the dreams. I know there is more on the horizon, and I am more excited than ever to see where this adventure leads.