Throwing Caution to the Wind

As a child I loved to swim in the ocean.  I do less of that now for reasons which include jellyfish, riptides, rogue waves and sharks.  I still love going to the beach and occasionally I swim.  But the longer you go in life, the more you know about risks and what-ifs.  You become more cautious, vigilant and protective.

On a downhill hike recently my husband and I were tentatively negotiating a steep and slippery slope after a light rain.  A cheerful group of younger hikers breezed by us as though strolling along a level sidewalk.  Even their dog was carefree.  After they passed us we marveled at how our caution has grown over the years.  We’ve each weathered slips and falls enough to give due respect to a slippery precipice.   

In my early twenties a group of friends watched a skydiver on TV and I commented that I wouldn’t want to do that because you could die.  A guy named Marty replied quite matter-of-factly, “If you’re afraid to die, then you’re afraid to live.” For the first time I wondered whether abundance of caution could keep me from most fully embracing life.

Fear and caution saturate our culture.  From illness to terrorism to the economy, termites to identity theft to food safety concerns.  Catastrophes global, natural and personal warrant our attention and concern.  The more we learn, the more cautious we become.  Throwing caution to the wind has become increasingly difficult. 

“Be careful” is a message we get from an early age.  We learn that it’s not safe out there and we become disinclined to risk-taking.  This limits our personal potential as well.  We give up on a dream because stepping out there is too risky.  We escape failure by not trying.  We dodge rejection by never asking.  We avoid loss by convincing ourselves we didn’t really want something after all.  Playing it safe becomes a way of life.  Focused on our fragility, we forget our tremendous capacity for resilience, even expansion.

While it feels to me like unnecessary risk to skydive, skip recklessly down a slippery rock, or swim among jellyfish, I hope I won’t fully adopt “playing it safe” as a general way of life.  I’d miss out on too much.  Yes, there are occasions for caution and things to fear in this world. But there is also much to admire, enjoy, give to, celebrate, try for, risk, embrace and bless.  It is in this that we make a richer, more expansive life.

A personal chaplain to help navigate through life, Ami Hudson M.Div. offers sessions for individuals & couples, preaching, workshops and retreats through her office at Halifax, VA.  Share your thoughts & stories about caution & risk at www.AmiHudson.com/blog