Blue Christmas
To practice presence, my family went skiing on Christmas day. We don’t go often but we had a blast together, as usual. I specifically enjoyed laughing at my mom and little sister as they tumbled off the lift and down the slopes.
It was late in the afternoon and I had conquered the easy ‘greens’, and was feeling up to somewhat of a challenge. I began to slide down a ‘blue’ route that didn’t seem too steep. By the time I reached the steep part, there was no turning back. I imagine it was comical for the more experienced skiers, whizzing by me at approximately 68 miles an hour, observing as I shuffled my skis horizontally down the side of the mountain. It was so frightening to look up what I had already “conquered”, let alone glance ahead to what I had yet to fall. I found myself asking the same question over and over: “Why did I do this?”.
I ask myself that question in life, too – especially lately. I slide down “slopes” that I don’t feel necessarily ‘ready for’. What if I go too fast? What if I fall? What if I don’t make the right decision? Heres the thing: I was ready for the blue. Even though I didn’t look anything like the experienced skiers, I didn’t die. For me, the slope wasn’t about controlling my skis the most efficiently, or flying down the slope with the speed of a pregnant rollerblader. For me, the slope was about making it down and experiencing something that somehow enriched my life (even if it enriched my life in the way of an intense leg workout).
It’s okay to take chances.
It’s okay to be scared.
It’s okay to try new things.
Only through uncertainty can new opportunities arise.
Embrace them. Enjoy them. Smile through them.
