Do One Thing Everyday That Scares You

I'm sure you've heard that quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing everyday that scares you."  I remember reading it years ago and decided to make sure to do it.  In Junior High, I said one thing out loud to the classroom at least once a class period.  In college, I stepped way outside of my comfort zone traveling and working on political campaigns.  Which all boils down to why I started this blog when I made the decision to move to Chile.  (BTW- if you don't know much about Eleanor Roosevelt, you should look her up, quite the woman!)

Lately, I've been getting rid of access in my life.  This included my YMCA membership, which I had primarily for the pool access.  I live in Mission Bay, across the street from a cove known for swimming and have two wet suits. What my excuse was to not swim there, I don't know.  So, in late June, I donned my wet suit and headed over to Ventura Cove, not exactly knowing what I was doing.    Luckily, there was another swimmer there so I was able to follow him and realized that people just swim along the buoys.  Easy enough!  I had never swam, like swimming laps, in salt water, so that was a bit weird to begin with.  I had also never swam in a wetsuit!  I didn't know I needed to lube up, I didn't realize my armpits would be so torn up!! LOL  Plus, I also was afraid, and still am afraid EVERYTIME I go, that I'm going to be attacked by a shark.  When the water starts to get dark and I can no longer see the seaweed, it's scary.  But, there's also people there, and a lifeguard, so I reassure myself that I'll be fine.  Plus, ultramarathon swimmers swim from Los Angeles to Catalina Island, which is 20 miles with an always-present legitimate fear of sharks.  So, I have nothing to worry about in Mission Bay. 

This Sunday, I'll complete another long swim in La Jolla Cove, which is awesome.  The sea life is amazing, beautiful coral and plant life, along with seals, sea lions, bat rays, leopard sharks, etc.  It was great the first time to be swimming along and see a few bat rays below me, just chillin'.

Yesterday, on a great heat and hills run with Trasie, we discussed how fear is the motivation for doing anything exciting.  "If it wasn't scary to jump out of a plane, it wouldn't be exciting."  (Better get into the fear business, eh?)  It's so true that anything exciting normally has a level of the unknown involved.  You don't know what kind of obstacles you'll run into during your run.  You have no idea what kind of people will be at your new job.  What if they're all jerks?  What if your boss is jerk?What if they fire me?  What if I fall in my new heels in front of the big boss?  All a part of the excitement/fear factor.

TODAY, I decided it was a great opportunity to take my boat out alone.  A friend of mine was going to come with to help just in case I needed it.  Not quite alone, but she is also a relative novice.  Plus, the guy in the slip next to me was gone, which makes it easier to pull out and pull in.  Yesterday I had seen 'Crazy Mike', from E dock, a seemingly 135 year old man, take his boat out alone and an intoxicated neighbor go out on his own, both in sailboats my size!  I'm am active, fairly intelligent woman so I figured I could do it sober.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get the throttle to do anything, it was stuck!  We drifted a little bit and needed some help to get back into my slip.  At least I got over the initial fear of trying to go out alone.  I think I'll be able to do it next week sometime.  This is a two year fear I'm facing.  It's about time I do it. 

So, I started thinking, if you're not into physical endurance or boating, what else can one do to scare yourself? LOL 

My suggestions:

1.  Take a new route to or home from work WITHOUT your gps. 
2.  Say something in a work meeting you've been meaning on saying and you know you have support from at least one other person, without risking too much.
3.  Sneak away on your lunch and do something totally scandalous.
4.  Try a new class or machine at the gym.  No one is watching you, don't think they're laughing at you.
5.  Smile at your creepy neighbor.
6.  Go to a car dealership and test drive a car you would never buy.  A pick-up truck, a sports car, etc.
7.  Walk around your neighborhood at night.  (If you legitimately can safely.)
8.  If you're someone who likes being in control, give it up for a day.  If you're unable to take control, grab it for a short while and learn that the consequences aren't that bad.
9.  Call in sick and go somewhere you've never been within 20 miles of your house.
10.  Jump off a tree.

There's a million things you could do!  Carpe Diem!!  EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Plus, you get the added benefit of knowing that when you do these things, you're keeping yourself young.  Young at heart by keeping the fear barriers small, like a child.  Young in the mind by going outside your comfort zone and using your cognitive brain, which is said to help prevent Alzheimers!

I DARE YOU.