Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no
safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring
adventure, or nothing. -Helen Keller
This is absolutely one of my
favorite quotes about life. In four short sentences it says it
all. Avoiding danger makes us feel
better about our tenuous and short existences here on earth, but make no mistake:
we are vulnerable. Our bodies are strong, but very fragile. It’s the same with our precious minds.
Safety and security are
illusions. On a basic level, we know this. Natural disasters confirm just that. So do sudden heart attacks and
cancer in the very young, but we still cling to things like rules, insurance,
helmets, seat belts, self-defense classes, emotional walls and firearms, hoping
against hope that we won’t or can’t be hurt.
I'm not saying that these things don't have their place, but if you're aim is never to be hurt, you're missing the point.
This doesn't have to
be scary. Quite the opposite. It's liberating. This goes in
the box entitled “Things I Have No Control Over” along with what other people think and the time, place and way in which you will die.
You can do all the so-called, right things,
always coloring inside the lines, keeping a neat home, only doing it in the
missionary position, eating oatmeal for breakfast, doing cardio three times a
week and guess what? It’s an aneurysm that gets you – at 38.
You've got to live. Unabashedly. Balls out. Pedal to the metal. This isn't a dress rehearsal.
There will be no do-overs. There is no net waiting to catch you if you fall,
but that’s OK There’s no net waiting to catch any of us. We’re all on the same
journey, trying to figure it out.
You'll succeed. You'll fail. Or, break a leg. It will hurt. A lot. You will survive. Then, you'll get up and have another adventure. Rinse and repeat, until it's your time to cross the river...with no regrets.
Enjoy the ride!
