“Come on, do it, what are you a sacredy-cat?” Do you remember that taunt from childhood? It came to mind the other day when I read a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. Apparently she said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Now I am not a huge risk taker, in fact I lead a pretty cautious life, and sometimes I wonder what I have missed out on because I like to play it safe.
Last night at our Mental Health Seminar on depression (which was excellent by the way) one of the speakers, who lives with the diagnosis of bi-polar, said when she is in her manic phase she can be at her most creative partly because she is willing to take risks that she might otherwise not. She said, “It doesn’t always work out well but lots of times it does!”
The stories of Lent follow Jesus through the last weeks of his life. He was a risk-taker. He took risks, not for the adrenaline rush, or for the high, but to stand up to injustice and for the benefit of others. I can only imagine that as he faced down his detractors there were times when he was scared, really scared, but the cause of justice and his love of God enabled him to do it.
I think I need to do something today that scares me. I am just not sure what it will be. But I am feeling like a little risk-taking is what I need.
How about you? What are you scared of? Can you take the risk?
in answer to your question of daring to take a risk.
Last year I realized that I was missing out of more than just fun on the beach.
As an avid duathlon and marathon runner I became aware of how much fun the triathlon athletes had as they have the added discipline of swimming. Here is my problem…..I can not swim due to a great fear of water. This means that I will do double running duty if I want to continue to be part of the duathlon community.
All summer i watched my f riends doing the swim training.
one day I made up my mind that I was going to learn how to swim………
but that water…. in my thoughts was the thought ” there is nothing to fear but fear itself”. Now that is easy to say and think, but……. A couple of weeks later a was brave enough to go to the Sports center to get info about private lessons and an instructor that would be able to help me with that terrifying fear of water.
The day of my first lesson…. I was petrified to go even into the dressing room, but I had made this appointment and now had to continue being brave and not chicken out. Once on the edge of the pool I was frozen with fear…..but the instructor was excellent and carefully guided me into the shallow end. Near the end of the lesson time she took me took the deep end…….. I held on to the wall with utter fear, but again she guided me slowly to let go of the wall….to do some bubble blowing while my head was underwater. ………..I survived!! ….. I did not drown. During that first lesson I did say many, many little “o lord help me” ‘s .
Now 1 year later I am able to swim and loving it.
The risk was worth it and now I realized I missed out on a very important skill as well as a whole lot of fun.