Will you choose to swan dive?

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t swan dive off a cliff.

First, jumping off a cliff is scary. The fact that you’ve even decided to jump off a cliff shows that you are already doing something “risky”. You’re at least 30 feet in the air. “Better to jump down the normal way so that you don’t hurt yourself”, you tell yourself.

But what if you accepted that the dive wouldn’t and couldn’t hurt you? That any discomfort you’d feel would be temporary and that you’d recover perfectly? How would you react then?

I know what you’d do. You’d swan dive right off the cliff.

Yes, a swan dive is an act of supreme confidence. But what you’re really doing is putting up a middle finger to the fear of getting hurt. You’re saying to the world: You can’t touch me! I’m going to have some fun!

When was the last time you felt that feeling? When was the last time you went head first into an activity or project because it’s fun? It’s probably been a while, I’d imagine.

Why?

Because of your fear that you’ll get hurt. Because of your guilt that you’re not being an adult. Because you “should” do the smart thing. Swan diving is for kids (or idiots).

The reality is that the choice to swan dive is always available. If you choose to release that story you’re telling yourself, you can say yes to having fun. You can swan dive into life.

Which person will you choose to be?