My heart is racing and my palms are sweaty.

“Move your feet.” I tell my brain

“Go talk to her!”

And so I pick up one foot. And then the other. And halfway accross the room I realize what I am doing. But it’s too late now.

I peer over the edge of the bridge. A parrot flies underneath us above the tree canopies. My feet are like concrete.

“Jump!”

I stare out of the window as we cross the rocky mountains. I’m 30,000 feet in the air with my life packed in a suitcase.

“This is your captain speaking..”

Everything that I have ever done in my entire life worth mentioning has terrified me.

Leaving my friends and family for a job 5,000 miles away. Running for Eboard positions for organizations I care about. Moving to Europe. Bunjee jumping in Costa Rica. All of them I lost sleep over.

You see, your brain is like your parents.

Your parents want what’s safe for you. Not what’s best for you. (Tweet This)

You have to ignore the warnings and just buy the ticket and take the ride.

But I know how hard that can be.

Whenever you find yourself debating whether to do something or not, do this drill my mentor taught me.

Close your eyes and pretend you are old and frail. Your entire life has passed you by. As you stare out the window of your deathbed thinking of all the risks you didn’t take, and the life that could have been, wondering how much potential you squandered. How much life you have left…

“Oh, to be young again.” you say to yourself.

Now open your eyes. And you’re young again.

And so you jump.

We’ll be celebrating 6 years this September.

This post originally published on my blog here.