Walk on fire. Surely that is impossible.

Right?

What if we looked beyond the predetermined notions of what is and is not possible?

This mindset is exactly what the executives of Enel Green Power challenged themselves to as the sun set and the fires roared on Friday night.

Having no idea of the feats they were about to put themselves through, these 17 participants walked outside to see hundreds of logs burning on a sandy terrain in between the corner of the hotel and some palm trees.

Standing a few feet away from the flaming walkway, beads of sweat dripped from the executives foreheads.  Caused by the flames or perhaps some jittery nerves, one thing was certain, it was heating up.

As excited as the team was by the proposition of walking on fire, doubts surfaced when it came time to walk.

“You’re supposed to walk on that?”

“Has anyone burned themselves?”

“What’s the trick?”

Yes you walk on it, ironically only our CEO has burned himself, and the trick lies completely within you.

It takes certain conviction.  When it comes time to take that first step into the ambers of the fire it is because you have committed in that moment to that step.  And with the commitment of the first step comes the necessity of a second.  And a third, and a fourth, and before you realize you are on the other side of 10 yards of burning ambers.

So what is all this about? Walking across some flames for a badge of glory, a feat of excitement, or a killer new profile picture on Facebook?

Not entirely.  A fire walk calls for the recognition of certain strengths and a commitment to call on them to breakthrough to a new level of personal potential.

Whether it is a commitment take on the uncertain launch of a platform for a new product integration or committing to being a better spouse, the symbolism behind that first step into the fire is profound.

It is the realization of a new possibility and the ability to make it happen all rolled up into the distance it takes to convert a first down.  That is if you replaced the sweet smell of freshly cut grass with burning wood and ambers.

For this team of fire walkers of Enel Green Power, their walk is behind them.  And what lies in front of them is the commitment to their conviction.  For the ripple effects of forward steps are the ones that can and will shift the trajectory of results.

The difference between intention and action is courage.  It gives life to our virtues.  It is the foundation that creates a reality around those beliefs.

The word courage comes from the same stem as the French word Coeur, meaning heart. In Rollo May’sThe Courage to Create, he explains how courage is the essence that pumps vitality into all our virtues. Without courage, who we are, simply would not exist, and our fidelity would fade into conformism.

The presence of courage does not mean the absence of fear, it is rather the ability to move beyond it. Feel the fear and do it anyway.  It keeps us sharp, on edge, and on point.

Everything your body does when the pressure is on is good for performance.  Bill Russell was one of the greats in the game of basketball winning an NCAA Championship, Olympic Gold Medal, and professional championship all in the same year.  Here’s the kicker, before every single game Russell would throw up. His nerves would keep him on point.  So much so, that in 1963, when didn’t puke before games he had his greatest slump of his career.  He then got to the playoffs, puked, and played one of the best games of the season.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.  Trust in your abilities and allow them to flow.  Do not suppress them in fear.  Like a squirrel scurrying across a telephone wire it doesn’t think, “oh geez, I’m going to fall.” It doesn’t think at all it just scurries.

The only need you have in life is to fulfill your own potential.  And you already have what you need inside of you.  It is your own unique abilities.  Be courageous and act upon them! They will bring your virtues to life.  Any resistance you feel is only a natural reaction that even the best experience.

Rollo May’s extremely empowering outlook calls on our accountability.  If you do not express your original ideas you will betray not only yourself but your community in not making your contribution.

There is something very special in you that needs to be shared with this world.  No one else can share it – it is up to you and you alone.

It takes courage to be legendary.  Courage to be your authentic self, courage to help form the structure of the new world, and courage to act on your beliefs.  But in order to do incredible things you must have incredible ideas.  You might be labeled an an idealist, an audacious maverick, or a crazy fool, but legendary outcomes are not about the odds they are about the actions.