Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Taking the plunge

I'm an act first, think later kind of girl. I'm the girl that talked her way out of failing a class I needed to graduate college because I didn't show up to said class. I'm the girl constantly putting my foot in my mouth and having to extract it. I'm the girl who loved buying her first car even though I had no idea what I was doing, which could have potentially cost me much dinero. Maybe I could be called a problem solver. Maybe I'm just the girl with crazy good luck. In reality I'm the girl that causes problems and finagles to fix them after the fact. But I guess this is what I get for being repeatedly pushed into the deep end of the pool (metaphorically, of course) and having to teach myself to swim out. When forced, I'm used to taking the plunge.

I bring all of this up not to toot my own horn, but because I'm chest deep in my own quarter-life crisis. Thank you, John Mayer... it does exist! I feel (as do several of my friends) that there's more to the world than the little bubble most of us live in, and hopefully my rationalization of jumping into the deep end of a pool despite swimming (or lack thereof) capabilities will help get the ball rolling again. The hard part is figuring out which part of our lives are lacking, and which are fulfilled. When you reach your mid 20s, you've finally reached the point you've been waiting for your whole life. The problem I've run into, though, is that I'm still waiting for my life to start. Like many of my friends, I'm stuck in a rut and need to activate life, and not the other way around. We're adults now. Life's OBVIOUSLY going to keep on going without us, and it's not going to be anything spectacular unless we plan it that way!

So with all that said, I have to ask myself, "Self... you got yourself into trouble before, and it all turned out fine." And it's true! Every single ridiculous situation I have found myself in over the last 10 years (believe me, there have been MANY) I ended up coming out on top. It's funny how things work like that. Just when you think you're about to break, you realize that you've got it. And the truth is, the same goes for every other person in the midst of their "quarter-life crisis". The difference is, up until now, we've been pushed in the deep end by parents, school, jobs, relationships... by life.

My question and challenge to myself (and anybody who reads this, quarter-life crisis or not) is: Why are you so afraid to jump in the deep end now? You've been pushed in before and you've come out just fine, so why not take a flying leap? Everybody has a lifeguard that can save them if absolutely necessary, and no decision you make will leave you treading water with no ladder (read: end) in sight. So if there's something you've been thinking about doing but have been too much of a wuss because you're ok with the path life has been dragging you around on then ignore this. But I know that I'm going to keep climbing the ladder to the top of the high dive and can't wait to do a cannonball. I expect great things out of myself and am ready for others to see them. I mean really... what's the worst that can happen??

1 comment:

  1. Well said friend! Why wait? You only get ONE life. Why settle? I'm not saying don't stop and smell the roses, but I think the roses smell SO good sometimes that we forget to keep going(read: get in a rut). I guess the important thing to remember is that roses only smell good when you don't smell them all the time. The goal, as the great Ray Bradbury puts it, is to be a gardener. Become great. The only one stopping you is you.

    Friend I believe you can do anything. And watching you rise to the top is inspirational. Thanks for sharing!

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