on doing what you’re not ready to do…

“I always did something I was a little not ready to do.  I think that’s how you grow.   When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this’, and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.”

Marissa Mayer

This is actually a picture of my husband repelling down a cliff in Colorado (I was the one with one hand hanging on to a tree branch, hanging out over thin air to take the cool picture), but it is an activity that most of our family enjoys.  My husband and I got hooked on repelling when we went on a trip to Costa Rica for our 25th wedding anniversary.  We went on a canyoning tour, which involved repelling down a series of five waterfalls (really fun part) and then climbing, climbing, and more climbing back up (not so fun).  Our guide gave us instructions on how to strap on the repelling gear and hold onto the ropes, then proceeded to give us a demonstration on a little wooden construction.  I assumed that we would all take a turn practicing on the little slope, but no!  He led us right up to the edge of a 65 foot waterfall so steep that I couldn’t see the bottom from the top.  My reaction was “Wait, I’m not ready!  I don’t know what I am doing!”  That first step going backward over the edge into nothingness was tense….but it turned out to be wonderfully exhilarating!

I have carried that experience into many other areas of life.  If we are never willing to take risks, we will not have many breakthroughs.  Starting a late in life art career was pretty intimidating, but it was now or never, and I am so glad I took the plunge!

What have you been waiting to do?