Running With Scissors

Okay, probably not a good idea. Especially if you're impulsive and in grade school.

Safety first and all that jazz.

I get it.

But I'm actually thinking I need a little less safety in my life. Perhaps a bit more danger.

By danger I don't mean I'm going to stop wearing a seat-belt or go hang gliding or run with bulls. I don't mean stupid. I guess I mean more like get out of my comfort zone.

Do what feels a bit scary. Uncomfortable. Glance over the edge of a cliff. Take the first Indiana Jones-like step across the bridge. You know, do something that creates that queasy feeling in your stomach.

The older I get the more I want comfort. Is that part of the aging process? Or just me?

If asked, would anyone actually say they wanted that kind of life? Living the same day in and day out for the next 30 years. I believe that living safe is really only meant for critters in a cage. Or maybe the boy in the bubble.

If I'm serious then I really need to push against comfort. Seek out new experiences. Approach the unfamiliar. Accept new challenges.

I mean my brain needs new neural pathways, right?

I do tend to work against myself though. I feel fear and retreat. I get frustrated and stop. So my new goal is to feel the fear and be okay. It isn't life and death. There are no bulls trampling me. I'm just doing something a bit different. Out of character. Learning. Trying.

How else do you or I discover what we are good at?

What gifts are lurking within you? What talents are laying dormant? What aptitude is hidden? What skills are buried? What adeptness is unknown?

I may never do something as risky as hang gliding but I've pushed myself to take art classes, built a website, and now post art regularly on Instagram. These things all make me feel a bit queasy and vulnerable. It may not sound daunting to you but I'm guessing you have your own comfort zone issues.

Everyday I have to tell myself that it's good for me to be unsure. To be a bit scared. To feel apprehensive. It is in those moments, out of my comfort zone that I start running with scissors.

How are you playing it safe?

Time to grab the scissors and take a risk.