Monday, August 26, 2013

Leap of Faith

Today I feel like a child on the edge of a diving board.  I want to jump more than anything, I want to go back to training at full capacity.  I was strong enough to climb the ladder, courageous enough to walk to the edge, but jumping is another story.  I don’t want to re-injure my hamstring, this has been a long, painful climb back and I’m not too eager to go through it again.  A physical therapist told me that when I think I’m ready to go back to training, wait two more weeks.  What does that mean if I’m pretty sure I’m ready, but I’m scared?

No one is ever really ready to leave security for the unknown.  There are good reasons to stay safe, and good reasons for risk.  I think at some point your thirst for satisfaction will drive you toward your risk, or your fear will confine you in your safety, and there is a moment where you no longer have a choice.  That moment on the edge of the diving board.  Is the water really so scary?  You wouldn't have climbed that ladder if you didn't know how to swim.

 As humans our imagined fears have a greater influence on our behavior than those we can identify.  We know the result of climbing back down to safety, some humiliation, some regret as we watch the others happily doing what we know we could have, and we think maybe, when we’re ready we’ll try again.  What we don’t know is what happens when our feet leave the diving board, maybe you land on your back on the water (ouch), maybe you hit your head on the diving board (OUCH!), maybe there’s something else that we never even thought of…. or maybe everything will be fine.

I have awesome training partners that will take good care of me, I know my limits and have my ego in check.  Sitting on the sidelines is not my style and it’s making me crazy.  My sport is a dangerous one, but it’s funny, I’m never worried about getting hurt, unless I’m already hurt.  Things can always go wrong, especially when you focus on things going wrong…  I know I’m not 100% healed, and I know that getting myself back in fight shape is going to hurt, but at some point I have to make that choice to start.

Sometimes you’re ready and sometimes not, the only way to find out is to jump.

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