Life on the edge
If you are not willing to risk the usual,
you will have to settle for the ordinary
-Jim Rohn
A new year.
Some will make resolutions. Others will make lists.
I wonder, how much will we live life on the edge this year?
That will mean different things to different people. Mountain climbers will talk about ‘summit fever’; taking risks with their lives, in spite of signs of danger, to reach the top.
Most of us won’t be trying to climb mountains this year. But getting out of our comfort zones, and embracing adventure might just be the tonic that many will need, especially after weeks or months in some form of lockdown or self isolation.
What might that look like? Going somewhere completely new is always a good challenge, especially when you throw in the demands of a different language. Developing new skills, creating something original, or launching a new venture can all be rewarding.
The key is to take some kind a risk. To take comfort in being uncomfortable for a moment. Travel will often do that. If travel is not possible right now, how else could you push yourself to a new limit this year?
In the past year all of us have been reminded that there are few guarantees in life and that the future has a lot of unknowns. For many people that will have been a super challenging thing to accept, the uncertainty; that life as they knew it was suddenly altered and many things were out of their control.
While we all need some degree of certainty, sameness can also lead to complete boredom. After twenty of years of international moves, and adapting to life in many different places, the one thing that we have found ourselves saying frequently is “it’s never dull”.
There is always change in the world. And we can work to put change in our life. We can make a choice to embrace change.
Look at this another way. Imagine the year ahead, living in the same place, staring at the same four walls, doing the same stuff, eating the same foods, going to the same places. Man, I’m bored just writing that!
We all need variety, spontaneity and some risk in our lives. It’s how we live life fully and it’s what makes our lives interesting; what gives it flavour.
“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.”
– Paulo Coelho
What will be new in your life this year?
@Maggie M/ Mother City Time
Love this post! It’s funny you posted this theme, because my video last Friday had me filming from a cliff in Cornwall talking about my huge fear of EDGES!!! So, I’m not sure I will be living “life on the edge”… but I will definitely be having lots of adventures this year. My youngest son is officially moving out of the house after his uni graduation and “launching” his independent adult life. My husband and I are PLANNING to live 3 months in Britain over the summer. I’m exploring new creative outlets and expression… so plenty of adventure and risk taking and new experiences. But also plenty of uncertainty! Because while we want all the pandemic problems of 2020 to be magically gone… we are still facing them at the start of 2021. I hope we will have progressed on that front by the end of 2021!
I think, particularly here in the UK the challenge may be how to make the same things feel different or how to get variety in the same place for part of 2021 at least! Having learnt a new skill in our first period of lock down (I’ve taught myself to crochet) I’ve decided to set myself a challenge to continue to develop my much latent creative side! I’ve launched a new Instagram account called ceridoescrochet to keep me on task and committed. At this point I’ve no idea where this new venture will take me…it may turn into a creative blog, a space to sell my creations or just a prompt to keep me making! Either way I’m excited to find out and to have settled on a new year challenge to give me a new focus and direction in 2021. An exploration of a different kind!
Bravo Ceri. Your new venture is creative, and that little star that you made us for Christmas is still hanging in our home. Your talent shines bright, so keep going. It’s a great challenge. Good luck with your Instagram account, ceridoescrochet. You will connect with many like minded creative souls there. And people can find a gorgeous example of your work, on the Mother City Time FB page. It’s exciting that you have no idea where this new venture will take you. They are usually the best journeys. Who needs everything mapped out?! Just pursue your passion.
Hi Dara. So happy to hear that you enjoyed this post. Living on the edge has many guises and I hope you will be having lots of adventures this year. Your plans to spend 3 months in Britain over the summer is very exciting; new people, new places and new flavours. I’m three years into writing this blog and we have met so many great people as part of the process. I hope we might meet sometime, while we are all visiting England.
Sure, we all want the Coronavirus to magically disappear. But for not at least, we must continue to live with the pandemic. But making plans is definitely not off the table! Thanks for your comment, Dara.