Sink or swim...

I had long wondered why people did extreme sports. To me they mostly looked dangerous and unnecessary. I had never done anything "dangerous" so I didn't understand the allure. For me, I couldn't see their value. I had always thought it was easier to stay comfortable than to take risks.

We I began coming out of my shell I began to learn the importance of taking risks. I began to understand the attraction to the adrenaline. Without understanding the reward, it was hard to gauge the risk. I lived my life making all the safe plays and I knew I wanted and needed more. I started craving the rush.

Desire was only half the battle, unfortunately actual effort and risk were the other. I found wanting to do something was a lot easier than actually following through with it. It's a lot easier to talk and think a big game, but those first steps in doing it were incredibly hard. As hard as they were I understood they were necessary. In order for me to grow as a person, I needed to take more risks.

Even though I got to the point of knowing I needed to change, I didn't know how. Instead of spending time trying to figure out the exact best way of going about it, I decided it was best to dive right in. I either had to sink or swim and I knew I had to swim.

My swim began with a series of little things. I label them "little things" now but to me they seemed like impossible steps. I decided to speak up a little more. Instead of simply thinking an opinion, I actually started voicing my views. I wasn't overbearing about it, more along the lines of quiet and timid. I doubt anyone even noticed or batted an eyelash, but to me I had just won the Superbowl. My rapidly beating heart was rewarded with the thrill of victory. To me, a simply sentence was an extreme sport. I had began understanding adrenaline and it felt really good...