Dive in - This is one of my life philosophy’s.

Dive into life. Dont hold back.

I am an introverted person, and an extroverted person in the same body. A part of me wants to stay inside my comfort zone. I just want to read books instead of talking to people, i want to play life safe. I remember taking vows of Hermatism when i was younger. I would swear to myself to only talk to people when it was nessercery and to otherwise ignore other life forms. Because you can get hurt, alot, when you step out of your comfort zone.

Another part of me is extraverted. I dye my hair red because I can. I talk to strangers. I perform on the stage even though it is terrifying. I do things that are uncomfortable and scary, things that I want to run away from. But i do them anyway, because life is too short to miss.

Here is the onion analogy. Imagine life a a series of circles, one inside the other. the very middle circle is as far inside your comfort zone you can be, you are tucked under your blankets and asleep. The further out you go, the greater the reward, but also greater the risk. A few rings out is the Running-naked-through-the-park-at-midnight circle. There are greater rewards: the adrenatin rush, the emotions, the fond memorys, the bonding experience with friends. But there are also greater risks: Embarrassment, being caught, stepping in dog poo.

Its just putting more chips of the rolette table. more to lose and more to gain. But i have learnt something about the odds of life in my 18 years, 8 months and something days on this planet: The reward of stepping out of your comfort zone far exceeds the Loss. If you play your cards right its a 10 to 1 ratio.

Examples: I first solidified this thought in my mind when i was on the Gold Coast with some friends. They wanted to go swimming at night time, as you do. But i didn’t want to. It was too far out of my comfort zone. I hate the cold, and i don’t like sand or wetness and i would be damp all night. But i dove in anyway. I was freezing cold for the first 5 minutes. But after that, it was amazing. It goes down as one of my favorite memory’s of all time. Along with that other time me and some friends when swiming in our underwear at mooloolaba spit on a full moon.

Roller coasters. I have sat out of a few rollercoasters in my time. I’ve been just too afraid to go on them. I’ve sat down and watched, and it was safe and nice. Not sad, not happy, just nice. The times i have been on a roller coaster it has been terrifying, emotionally draining and horrible at the time. But it was soooo worth it! 1000 times better than sitting inside my comfort zone!

I like to wear strange and unusual clothing in public. This is in keeping with the Dive-In philosophy. And you know what, i have gotten strange looks, i have been laughed at, i have been insulted and even humilitated for dressing differently to others. And at those times i just want to crawl back into my shell. But i have gotten many many compliments as well. Aand every time i get one it makes me glow inside and i am reminded to not be ashamed of who i am, and to not censor myself just to be safe.

When ever i get asked to go to a party, but I dont really feel like it, i remind myself to Dive-In. And i usually have a great time. And when I’m at those partys and I’m deciding wheter to dance or introduce myself to a stranger, i remind myself to Dive-In and i usually have a great time. Tonight i am diving into an event although I’d rather read a book.

Some people who agree with me:

Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other. –Boswell: Life of Johnson

The world has no room for cowards. We must all be ready somehow to toil, to suffer, to die. And yours is not the less noble because no drum beats before you when you go out into your daily battle fields, and no crowds shout about your coming when you return from your daily victory or defeat.
Robert Louis Stevenson

When were the good and the brave ever in a majority? — Henry Thoreau