A month ago, my doctor gave me a wake-up call. Apparently, I haven’t escaped the family predisposition toward high cholesterol. Really high cholesterol. So he sent me off with a prescription and stern instructions that changes would have to be made.
I haven’t had a dessert, croissant, or white bread since then. (Given my previous carb addiction, this is tantamount to saying I haven’t had a meal.) And I’m frequenting the gym as well.
Last week I was perched precariously on an exercise ball there doing crunches when I became aware of something. Bending up into the crunch went fine, but on my way back down each time I had this fleeting second of paranoia. A little voice in my head whispering the same thing over and over:
“Don’t fall off the ball.”
Have you heard that little voice?
There are, after all, people around. They’re in better shape than you. The best thing you can do is stay thoroughly inconspicuous. That means not falling off the ball.
(The problem is I’ll never get Vin Diesel’s abs that way. Cautiousness doesn’t translate into an effective workout.)
Then it struck me, sitting there: maybe the best thing that could happen for many of us is to fall off the ball. We used to fall off the ball all the time, remember? It was called “childhood.” We took risks. We were more in touch with our faith than our fear. Yes, we walked away with some scraped knees – maybe even a broken bone or two. But would you trade it? When we tell stories about being kids, it’s falling off the ball/bike/table/roof that’s most riveting. Curiously absent are the tales of times we shrank back, listened to our fears, and failed to risk big.
If what you’re going to do today is the right thing, maybe you should do it so hard, so fearlessly, so all in that you risk falling off the ball. Maybe you’ll never get where you want to go practicing caution instead of courage. Maybe it’s been so long since you “failed” that you’ve grossly exaggerated what falling off the ball will cost – and entirely underemphasized the price you’re paying to avoid it.
Maybe you should knock on your boss’ door today and say, “I know it’s a difficult economy, but I think I have more to offer. How can I take the next step?”
Maybe you should read the Bible to your kids tonight even if you’re terribly insecure about your own understanding of it.
Maybe you should hire that person you can’t stop picturing on your team. Or fire the one dragging everyone else down.
Maybe you should take your wife to dinner and tell her you’re sorry you’ve been a jerk lately and you’re going to do better.
What’s the worst that could happen? You could fall off the ball. Which will mean… you’ll just have to get back on.
The downsides aren’t as bad as you think. Take the risk. Vin Diesel’s abs await.
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