Jumping In

Hi Friends!  A while back I shared with you my 104 Things, and I wanted to continue that story a bit.  If you remember, I shared with you a few things I had checked off my list (riding a camel, riding the Banana boat).  And I'm excited to tell you that I have checked off more things since then.  (Successfully growing a plant, and trying Sound Bathing) to name a few.  If you go back and read the thoughts I wrote about my list, you will see that there was a regret I had tied to one of my goals, and that was that I let fear stop me from diving in.  When given the opportunity to dive into the open ocean and go for a swim, I said "No," because it was out of my comfort zone.  But my regret of this moment caused me to make a commitment.  To not allow myself to miss out on life experiences because of fear.  And last week, I got an opportunity to make good on that promise. 
We were doing some trail walking with my family over the holiday weekend and happened upon an amazing swimming hole.  One of those that is a rare find of deep, cold, fresh water, secluded and inviting on a 90 degree day.  Typically I would have just sat and put my feet in at the edge, because swimming in water where I cannot see the bottom is not my thing (ie... outside my comfort zone).  But I decided, this time I would go all the way in.  I crept out a bit at a time until my feet could no longer touch the bottom, and I enjoyed the cool, refreshing pool and the joy of knowing I had overcome my fear.  But then a greater challenge arose.  On the other side of the pool was a ledge of cement jutting out a few feet above the water.  Various individuals had been climbing up and jumping off into the water during our time at the pool.  They had warned us that if you jumped, you had to jump far enough out to clear the rocks and to reach the deep water safely.  This was enough for me to remain safely planted just on the edge of my comfort zone in the water slightly deeper than what I could touch.  To make the jump meant to swim all the way across the pool, which meant there was no land within inches to turn back to.  And then there was the jump itself, another way outside the comfort zone thing which I might have avoided, had it not been for the voice of my ten year old speaking up. 
"I want to jump."  He said excitedly.
"No."  Came my knee-jerk reaction, followed by a series of whining and pleading from him.  Slowly my thoughts of the ocean invitation started to come over me, and I realized to say "No" to this opportunity was to miss out and cause my child to miss out all because of fear.  And I had committed to not doing that.  I knew that if he was going to jump, I had to do it to, and so, with my heart pounding I acquiesced, adding the admonishment that he understood if he jumped he had to swim the entire way across the pool as it was too deep to touch and also that he was not allowed to go head first (the goal was to push the comfort zone, not to be all out foolish). 
I began my swim across the pool reminding myself that this was just a little challenge, and I could do it.  Now, I know that to many of you this probably seems quite mundane, but to someone with a fear of open water and a general avoidance of any new activity, this was monumental.  Reaching the other side I climbed up on to the rock and asked for advice as to the exact spot we needed to jump in order to avoid hitting the rocks.  I gave my son several last minute warnings and then sent him off to jump.  Seeing him safely come back up and start swimming toward my husband I knew it was my turn.  I set my sights on the spot I needed to land, took a small running start and jumped.  And you know what?  It was fun!  I survived.  I had taken a leap outside my comfort zone and felt the joy of overcoming. 
For me it was simple.  Jump into the water.  For other things in life it may not be so simple:  take that new job, make the call, invest in the opportunity.  Sometimes the things that stretch our comfort zone are mild, like swimming across open water; and sometimes they are big, like moving across the country.  The more we choose to open up to life and push those boundaries, the easier it will be to say "Yes" when the right opportunities come along.  What do you need to say "Yes" to today?  Stop allowing fear to keep you from your destiny.  It's time to jump in!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W. 
*Photo credit to Chris Hoefler