Living like a Dare Devil

If we care to live our lives to the fullest, we have to take chances. Taking risks means failing at some point- a fact that doesn’t faze us in early life. A baby naturally takes risks and accepts his failures. He falls down many times before he learns to balance and walk upright.

As we mature and become self-conscious, we learn mistakes have a negative connotation. We have to work hard to re-learn the baby’s attitude: Mistakes are part of learning. We live a richer, more satisfying life when at certain times, we take a reasonable risk, like applying for a new, more demanding job.

We often assume risk-taking is easy for everyone else. I think of Felix Baumgartner,

an Austrian‘daredevil’ who experienced panic when he contemplated his goal. I find the paradox amusing: a daredevil with panic. But he didn’t cave in; he found a coach to help him with his anxiety. 

On October 14, Mr. Baumgartner risked his life while  jumping from a space capsule in a pressurized suit from a height of twenty-four miles, falling at 834 mph to break the sound barrier.

Few of us plan to take risks of this magnitude. But thinking of a panicked daredevil shrinks fear and normal daily risk-taking to manageable proportions.

Conclusion: A satisfying life involves experiences in which we extend ourselves beyond our comfort zone.

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