A great man once said “I try to be available for life to happen to me. We’re in this life, and if you’re not available, the sort of ordinary time goes past and you didn’t live it. But if you’re available, life gets huge. You’re really living it.” That great man was Bill Murray. I’m not an actor. Thank goodness. I don’t think I would make very entertaining movies. But the minute I read this quote many years ago, it stuck with me. I have reshaped it a bit in my mind and have come to capture the sentiment in one phrase – put yourself out there. To me that means taking risks, big and small.
I should also diverge here briefly to point out that I was raised by a father who is a financial manager, a CPA, and who raised me with the boy scout motto to always be prepared. This says a lot about who I am today and the types of risks I take. For many years, I perhaps lingered on the side of being too conservative….I had to plan everything to the letter. Then one day, I learned the hard lesson that even all the best laid plans may still not lead to the expected outcome. Recovering from that hard lesson I discussed with my father a change in my plans. If my dream was too risky, well, I just wouldn’t pursue it. I would pursue something sensible and responsible. It was then that my father taught me a new lesson, sometimes you just have to go for it and trust your gut. Sometimes, you just have to put yourself out there.
Over the years I’ve learned that putting myself out there, being available for life to happen to me, requires living in a grey area that can sometimes be uncomfortable. For me, it means never saying never. There are endless opportunities ahead if we are open to seeing them.
