Embracing The Unknown

Having just been to Disneyland in California and experienced some of the rides. Yes, the rides! The high impact roller coaster, Incredicoaster, Soaring etc. My little one was excited, her eyes glowing while my tummy was churning, I was almost throwing up, my eyes were closed shut through out all the rides, quickly saying my last prayers, asking forgiveness for all sins including ones I am yet to commit and unlikely to commit.

What can I expect anyway? I entered the place with a lot of trepidation, telling everyone that cared to listen, how much I no longer care for those rides. I was not looking forward to the experience of the high impact rides, dreading every second of it. Yet there were people all around me, so excited, they have annual tickets, they come often, they enjoy the thrill. They loose themselves to the force, the moment and they live through it all, with their eyes wide open. For me, it was just too much to take in, I felt like I would die, yet I did not die! My excuse was that I use to enjoy it all when I was younger but now I am older, it is no longer my kind of thing. But I noticed that there were people older than me, still having a blast, still enjoying themselves and I was there all wrapped up in my ‘I am too old for all these stuff’ nonsense. I declined to go on some of the rides.

I couldn’t help wondering, what if I just release myself to enjoy the moment, what about if I stop being tense, and lose the fear, anxiety, trepidation? What about if I just embrace the moment, go with the flow, keep my eyes open? What would happen? Would I die? Do I really think I would die? No! If I truly believed I would die I wouldn’t get on the rides. So exactly what is the deal? What is my problem? I am afraid of what I don’t know, what I can’t control, what I will feel, what is too fast, too tense, too ‘whatever’ etc. But why am I really afraid? That it would be rough, unpleasant, bumpy or too sudden for my system, and so what? Again exactly, ‘what is my problem?’ That is it! It is all in the mind! The fear is perched right in the middle of the brain, sitting comfortablely and exacting all kinds of power and influence, restricting and constricting our lives and experiences and we allow it, we condone it, we embrace the stifled life.

I paid so much to go to Disney and all I can do is close my eyes and dread the whole experience. That doesn’t even make sense. We atimes are guilty of the same. It is costly to be here and stay alive, yet if we are not careful, we live through life with our eyes closed, squandering our existence. Someone asked, ‘What is the cost of being alive?’ Where do we even start? A conversation with our parents might be a good starting point. Being alive is costly for the earth we dwell on. Some people paid for us to be here and we are paying for continuing to be around, we might as well get our money’s worth of this experience called ‘life’. It makes no sense for us to short change ourself. We settle for the easy teacup rides, the very gently go round in the same spot. We come off it unchanged, unruffled, unshaken and we are happy with our underwhelming, uneventful steady approach to life.

William James admonishes us, there is only one way to live life, flamboyantly, no exception. Embracing the unknown, seeking out adventure, obstacles and challenges, for therein lies our growth. This is how we navigate life. Nancy Reagan said “ there is a big, wonderful world out there for you. It belongs to you. It’s exciting and stimulating and rewarding. Don’t cheat yourselves out of this promise. Don’t be like me in Disneyland, don’t decline life. Don’t fear the unknown. Live life to the fullest.