Setting Sail

"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."— Vincent Van Gogh, Painter

When I read this quote, my first thought was of a conversation I recently had with one of my friends. Amie, who is also a yoga teacher, was telling me about her recent skydiving experience in Europe.As she described the details of her 30th birthday skydiving adventure, all I could do was stare at her open-mouthed and shudder. I could never do that. I am way too scared. I wouldn't be able to breathe. 

This is what happens to many of us. We talk ourselves out of things. We let our fears get in the way. Now some of you might say, "Skydiving? That's a bit much." And I hear ya. Believe me. But it got me to thinking about how much of the time I play it safe, how much of the time I hold back from experiences because of my own insecurities and what I might be missing because of that. How much of the time are you spending as a wall-flower in your own life? Staying on the sidelines, afraid to put yourself out there, dream big, or live the life of your dreams. And more importantly, why? What holds you back?  

If you are like me, you might not be skydiving anytime soon, but maybe for you, it's something else. Maybe it's taking a leap of faith and trusting yourself to know that you are on the right path.