Take the plunge

I’ve been sorting through my photos today and came across this one that I took a few summers ago in Monterosso, one of the five stunningly beautiful towns that form the “must see” Cinque Terre in the region of Liguria in northern Italy. I was sitting on the beach after a long, hot day of hiking between the villages; the trails are rugged and traverse steep hillsides through lemon orchards and olive groves with breathtaking views at every turn – absolutely spectacular!

Young boys were scrambling up this rock and jumping fearlessly into the sea below. It looked like fun alright, but not something I would have the nerve to do. Leave it to the kids, I thought. And so it was with great amusement that I watched this old boy climb the rock and take the plunge, and as I did, I was reminded that we often pass up joyful moments and exciting opportunities when we ‘play it safe.’

Some of the greatest outcomes in my life resulted from taking the plunge and saying ‘yes’ when an opportunity came along, even though my ability, confidence, skill-sets, and comfort level had to catch up later (which, thank the Good Lord, they always seem to do).

So I encourage you to take a plunge or two this year. Don’t just repeat the same old experiences over and over, try something new and exciting. That’s one of the little secrets to living well.