If someone ever asks me what it’s like to achieve a big goal or realize a dream (a.k.a. catch a rabbit), I’ll probably just smile and say, “It feels like flying.” 

Because that means it's exhilarating—but it can also be scary.

Flying: Exhilarating, or Scary?

I used to be afraid of flying. And strangely, the more I flew, the more it bothered me. With every trip, I became more aware that it was just air holding up that massive chunk of metal—with me inside. I’d have to talk myself down from panic and make a conscious choice to be at peace.

You’re sitting inside this massive piece of metal, suspended in the air… by air. Nothing solid underneath you. No visible support system you can point to and say, “Ah, yes, that’s what’s holding me up.” Just invisible laws doing invisible work.

Turns out, that same feeling shows up with goal achievement, too.

Not long ago, I set a goal that honestly felt a little unreasonable. Not irresponsible… but definitely stretching. The kind that makes you wonder, “Who do you think you are to attempt that?”

It took me a second to recognize it, but when I did, I almost laughed. Because it was exact same feeling I get when I step onto an airplane. That mix of awe and resistance. Hesitant trust mixed with nervousness. That internal voice saying, “You’re about to rely on something you can’t fully see or control.”

That connection between goal achievement and flying reminded me not to let fear stop me. Whether I’m boarding a plane or chasing a goal, I might feel anxious, but I can choose to trust that the natural laws governing God's creation will support me in my endeavors, just as much as it supports His sparrows in theirs.

The truth is, flying and goal-achievement both require leaps of faith.

What’s interesting is how quickly the mind wants to pull back in those moments when it feels unsettled. It starts looking for reassurance, guarantees, or something to stand on. But there isn’t anything new to grab onto except that belief and hope in something unseen.

I’ve been thinking about how easily we trust certain things and how hesitant we are with others. People get on airplanes every day without understanding the physics behind them. We don’t sit there calculating lift or questioning whether the laws of aerodynamics will show up for us today. We board, we buckle, and we let ourselves be carried. Even if we feel uneasy, we go anyway.

But when it comes to our goals, the things we feel drawn to do—we suddenly want more evidence than we would ever require for flying. We want evidence before we commit. We want to feel stable before we take the next step.

What if we could trust the calculated, lawful, principles-based goal achievement process just as much as we trust Delta or Southwest? The laws at work whether we understand them or not. They don’t change based on our comfort level. They are fixed, and respond perfectly to alignment. When the conditions are met, we are lifted. When we step into that divinely governed pattern, we are supported, by law.

That’s what that anxious feeling is, I think. The one that shows up right after you commit to something meaningful. It’s sometimes uncomfortable, but it isn't always the warning we think it is. It’s just an awareness that we're about to move into a space where we can’t see the force holding us up. 

If we set a goal that doesn’t create that feeling, it might not be worthy of us. If we already know how to achieve it, it won’t change us much.

“Make no small plans, for they have not the power to stir men's souls,” —Niccolò Machiavelli, also quoted by Spencer W. Kimball.

There’s something in us that recognizes the truth of that. Deep down, we don’t actually want a life that stays only within our comfort zone. We just want to know we’ll be okay if we step outside of it. And the promise is that we will be.

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Deuteronomy 31:6)

And maybe that’s where this all comes back to for me...

Learning how to be okay in that in-between space. Not trying to eliminate the fear, but not letting it run the show, either. Sitting in the seat, so to speak, and letting the laws do what they do. 

Because every time I’ve moved forward even when I didn’t feel fully ready—I’ve found that I was supported in ways I couldn’t have predicted ahead of time. Not always how I expected, not always on the timeline I would have chosen, but consistently enough that I’ve learned to trust it more.

And my fear of flying has all but disappeared, too.

So set a goal or intention big enough that it stretches you. Stay with the discomfort long enough to see what it actually is, instead of trying to escape it. Remember that lift doesn't work without some thrust, so if you're ready to take off, you'll experience the effect of the invisible laws.

The good news is, the laws that govern whether something will rise or not doesn’t disappear just because we feel unsure. The laws will keep doing their thing whether you see them or not, and whether you utilize them on purpose or not.

Because one thing is for sure... they’ve been working long before we ever thought to question them.

Learn more about the laws of success here