Stepping Outside the Known

Over the course of the last couple of years, I've had occasion to consider some pretty significant decisions, and to talk with friends who were doing the same. You know the feeling; weighing out whether or not you should do something by mentally loading the weight bars on one side and then the other of the scale in your mind's eye, secretly hoping the scale will bottom out on the side of safety. But I'm convinced that safe isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Sure, safe is what we know and on some level, knowing brings comfort. There is a certain measure of security in being able to walk the halls of "safe" blindfolded, no matter how tight those halls are. We know every twist and turn; when to zig and when to zag. But the walls of "safe" can be confining and at times, very difficult to navigate due to the distraction of "what could be."

I'm suggesting that we dare to consider what could be. That we push ourselves to step outside of the confines of safe into the open world of wide halls where we need light to find our way. Oh, it's definitely frightening and truly not easy, but neither is sitting in a rocking chair at an advanced age, reflecting on life and wondering about what could have been. I think I prefer my comfort as I smile at the memory of a long and satisfying life, void of too much second-guessing.

The truth is, it all works out. We find our way, we figure it out as we go, and in the end, it all works out. The energy that we spend wringing our hands in worry is better spent in leaping and enjoying the adventure that life offers. Yeah, I know that sounds simplistic and I'm not suggesting that we go about life in a willy-nilly uncontemplated sort of way. But I am suggesting that we stop being scared. Fear is paralyzing and prevents forward movement. Get over it. Move on. Try something different. The bottom line is, time passes anyway, no matter what we choose. We might as well have something to show for it in the end, rather than a great big bucket of "what ifs."