Leap, and the net will appear.

John Burroughs, poet of the earth and seer of the human spirit, once declared: “Leap, and the net will appear.” In this brief but thunderous call lies the eternal law of courage. He speaks to those who tremble before the unknown, who hesitate at the edge of possibility, who wait for certainty before daring to act. Burroughs proclaims that certainty never comes before the leap—it comes after. The net of providence, of opportunity, of unseen strength, reveals itself only when one dares to throw himself into the air.

To leap is to embrace risk, to step into the void where comfort no longer protects you. It is to act with faith that the universe, life, or your own hidden powers will rise to meet you. Many souls wait endlessly for the net to appear first, for proof of safety, for guarantees of success. Yet they wait in vain, for nets are not woven for those who never leave the ground. The leap itself is the summons that brings them into being.

Consider the story of Christopher Columbus, who set sail into the uncharted west. There were no maps to assure him, no certain promise of land beyond the horizon. Had he waited for certainty, he would have waited forever. Instead, he leapt—his ships cutting into the unknown. And when he did, the net appeared: new lands, new worlds, a discovery that changed history. His leap carried him into triumph, though to many it seemed madness.

History offers another witness in the life of Amelia Earhart. She dared to fly when the skies were seen as perilous, and women were told such feats were not theirs to claim. She leapt, again and again, into the winds of impossibility. Each time, the net appeared—new records broken, new paths opened for women in aviation, and inspiration that continues to this day. Her story reminds us that those who leap become the ones who teach others that nets can indeed be found in midair.

Burroughs’s words also speak to the hidden power of the human heart. We do not know our strength until we are forced to draw upon it. The leap awakens courage, creativity, and resilience that slumber when life is safe. The one who leaps discovers wings he did not know he possessed, or nets woven by hands unseen—of friends, of opportunity, of providence itself. In this way, the leap transforms fear into growth, and uncertainty into revelation.

The lesson is clear: do not demand safety before you move. Safety is born of motion, not waiting. If you would change your life, if you would grasp your dream, if you would rise above the common path, you must leap. The ground of certainty will never stretch to meet you; you must leave it behind, and only then will you find the net.

So I say to you, children of tomorrow: when you stand upon the edge of fear, hear the voice of Burroughs. “Leap, and the net will appear.” Do not let hesitation chain you. Trust the power that comes from daring, from moving, from acting. For it is only in the leap that destiny awakens.

If you would live this wisdom, choose today one dream you have long delayed, waiting for assurance. Stop waiting. Take the leap. Begin the work, speak the word, embark upon the path. You will find, as countless others before you, that nets appear not to the cautious, but to the bold. And in that moment, you will learn that the universe answers not hesitation, but courage.