Thoughts on Playing it Safe in Life

Have you ever had that conversation with someone about one thing you would do in life if you had no worries about financial security or future decisions? I'm sure you have. I think I have that conversation with somebody at least once a day. It's one hell of an ice breaker with someone. "Hi, my name is Ryan. What is one thing you would do in life if you had no other life obligations?" Of course that is something that all people light up about and give a great deal of thought. There are so many things that each and every one of us WANT to do in life but somehow those dreams get lost as we get older and gain more responsibilities. I can shoot off a list of about three things right now that I would love to do at this very moment: 1) Go to Europe 2)Go skydiving 3) Take a nice long nap... on a beach in the Bahamas. I could spend all day just daydreaming about all the possibilities. This thought popped in my head just a few moments ago and I must be an idiot because I can't believe that I have never really thought about it before. With all the things we dream about doing, why do none of us ever just go out and accomplish any of those things?!

We spend our whole lives thinking about things that we want to do, but somehow we don't have enough time or we just push the dreams to the back of our minds. Granted, my list would be pretty expensive, but I am just using that as an example. One thing I have always wanted to do since I was about 10 years old has been to write a novel. I have ALWAYS wanted to write a book, and I have even gone so far as to write a few short stories and develop plot lines for my stories. But I have never put out the effort to just get down to it and start writing. That is something I need no money or no set schedule to accomplish. I have just always pushed it out of my mind whenever the urge to create has come on. I always make an excuse for why I don't have the time or the energy. That urge has come on again and I have wrestled with the thought to just go for it. I'm not thinking about it because I would want to profit off of it because I have no desire for that. But it would just be something I would be able to check off the ole "Life To-Do List." I could finally say that I have achieved one of my dreams. Maybe this time I should embrace the urge and just begin writing. I hear from people all the time that say you need to set a plan for a novel or have it all planned out, but I love the advice that Stephen King gives in his book On Writing, where he says that free writing is the best method. He has no idea how his books will end but he just goes the way in which his mind leads him.

So maybe I will embrace the urge and start a little free-writing session. Now I am no Stephen King but I have won awards for my short stories since I have been in college, so maybe I can rekindle some of that magic for this. Maybe I'm just wasting my time, but who cares? I have taken on the mindset that life is way too short to worry about everything all the time. If we worry about doing things that we dream about, we will all grow old and resent what we never did. I want to look back at my life as an old man and be happy that I did what I wanted. I don't want my life to control me. I hope to be able to do the things I dream about in the future.

We all have to appreciate the opportunities we have in life and embrace our dreams. Playing it safe in life may lead to good things, but it may not lead to complete happiness. We get one chance to do the things we want in life so why not make the most of it.

I hope that this may put some thoughts in your head about maybe accomplishing things that you want to do in life. It could be as extensive as backpacking through Europe or as simple as joining a gym or trying new foods. As for me, I guess I may give the novel writing another chance when I have time here or there. Maybe, just maybe, you will all have a chance to read it and criticize my horrible work (just kidding!).

So go out and experience your dreams. I'll be here fulfilling my dream, beginning with page one.