Jump!

Looking Down from the High Dive

The experience of the boy pictured above on the high dive…that was my experience as a kid.   When my friends invited me to the country club swimming pool near our home, I was really excited to go.  But then, at some point during the day, someone headed to the high dive and others followed.

I remember the first time I got in line at the high dive very clearly.  Why did I get in line?  Well, it looked fun from the ground.  But like cattle being herded toward the slaughterhouse, I found myself looking ahead and coming to the conclusion that, “hmmm, this doesn’t look so fun after all.”  As I climbed higher and higher, with kids in front and behind me, fear set in.  I looked back, but the door to turning around with any dignity slammed shut as those behind impatiently “encouraged” me upward.  Sure, I could have put myself in reverse and backed down that ladder, but like a large truck sounding it’s warning signal when in reverse, I no doubt would have drawn the attention to all in the pool area…including the 15 golfers some distance away on the driving range.  Okay, that was dramatic…but maybe it makes the point of how a 4th or 5th grade perspective saw this situation.  I was stuck.  The only option was to keep moving forward.

Then, the moment came for me to step up onto that long board reaching out to what appeared like the State of Ohio some 40 miles to the east.  Initially I was okay slowly walking out toward the edge…until the railing ended.  I was on my own from that point and the last 5 feet of board gave the appearance I was walking the plank to my certain death.

As I stared at the water some 15 feet (or maybe it was 100 feet) below, I was left with two options, 1) totally expose the fear within my heart, or 2) be cool, act like I was just faking the whole time and jump.

Jumped!

I closed my eyes and jumped.

• Splash!
• Air!
• Breathing!
• I survived!
• Exhilaration! (Although at that age I probably didn’t know this word yet.)
• Immediately begin damage control with my reputation.

All the fear experienced internally prior to jumping disappeared and I was instantly filled with a feeling of relief and then excitement that I faced down a great fear.  I was out of the pool and in line to climb that high dive ladder once again (Did I mention I had to begin damage control immediately?)  I wanted to feel the exhilarating joy of overcoming what could have become a paralyzing fear had I exercised option #1.

Freedom

For me, there was a freedom experienced that day as I no longer saw the high dive as a symbol of fear, intimidation and failure, but as an opportunity to soar…albeit downward really fast like a wounded duck…but it was still technically flying.

And this really brings me to the point of this post…throwing off the chains of fear, whatever they may be to you and me, and experiencing the total exhilaration that comes with proving we can do something that only moments earlier appeared to be insurmountable barriers in our lives.   Isn’t this what life is about; learning to overcome barriers and discover what we’re capable of doing in our lives?

Still To Come

I think I have much more to say and it’s really about “Risky Living”.  Now, I’m not talking about reckless living…I’m talking about the kind of risky living that stirs our heart back to life.  I’m going to continue pondering this in my heart, and I may be posting more soon.  But for now, perhaps I will leave you with a question in case you are interested to see what I have to say next.  The question would be this:

If you knew there was no possibility of failure, what would your heart be telling you to do differently with your life? 

This isn’t necessarily about work or careers but it also could be.  It must be deeply personal to you, and so the journey is wherever your heart takes you.  I have a friend in his later 40’s who has taken to the guitar and in the past 5 years has begun working with local artists writing and playing music in local coffee shops and breweries.  He has no desire to quit his day job, but his heart needs to express the music coming from within.  Perhaps learning another language and traveling is it…like my daughter; or perhaps there is an entrepreneurial spirit or an artistic spirit welling up within you and it needs to be unleashed.

Your Heart; your Vision; your Journey.

Maybe we’ll talk again soon…