I'll admit: I'm one of those super-cautious people who avoid danger at all costs. I'm not a dare-devil who's constantly wondering where my next adrenaline fix is gonna come from. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a coward - I just don't have a death wish. I don't see the logic in getting myself in situations where I could die, lose a limb or suffer a nervous breakdown. And then my cousins TK and Tam happened...
These 2 guys practically live for the thrill of near-death experiences. My mom, dad, sister and I visited Johannesburg, South Africa a while ago. As part of our expedition, TK and Tam suggested we check out Gold Reef City, known for its larger-than-life amusement park. Before I could say "Jumping Jezebel", we were all on the Anaconda, a gigantic roller coaster at Gold Reef City, described by my dear aunt as "death itself." OMG! When I came face to face with the dreaded contraption, "death itself" seemed to be such an under-statement. The mere thought of hurtling down the twisted tracks spinning, flipping, and being thrown in all directions nearly sent my blood pressure through the roof.
I mentally calculated the probability of falling off the humongous roller coaster, which stood at a terrifying 100 metres (328 feet) above the ground, and to me, was the definition of a killing machine. My knees were practically knocking together when we got on the Anaconda. I spent what felt like the longest minute of my life screaming my lungs off, shouting "Mommy" and vowing never ever to listen to my cousins again ..... but, I survived!
Just when I thought the horror was over and done with, TK and Tam beckoned with animated expressions on their faces, "Now, let's go on the Golden Loop." I thought, "Oh no! Not again!" And once more, I found myself on the kind of roller coaster that nightmares are made of.This ride immediately began with a steep, sharp descent at lightning speed, giving us no time to catch our breath. I could hear tens of ear-piercing, glass-shattering screams coming from other passengers behind and in front of me.
Then we raced through a giant loop and were upside down for about 3 seconds (which felt like an hour.) At that point I was pretty sure I was gonna fall off the roller coaster or have a heart attack, and mumbled all kinds of prayers confessing every blunder, mess-up and mistake I'd ever committed (sweets I stole from my mom's candy jar as a kid, all the times I was mean to my sister growing up, and of course the day I shaved off the dog's whiskers) and so forth. 45 excruciating seconds later, the Golden Loop ride was over and I stumbled out of my seat, laughing in sheer disbelief. I couldn't believe I had just survived 2 of the most petrifying rides in the Amusement Park. I felt like Wonder Woman and learned a valuable lesson right there.
Sometimes in life, you've just got to do it afraid. "It" can be anything - taking a new class, moving to a new neighborhood, making a new friend, applying for a job, trying out for a position in a sports team or auditioning for a singing part in a theater production. Whatever your "it" may be, just do it. Grab the bull by the horns and go for it. It'll be worth it, trust me.
Stop procrastinating and making excuses. If you're waiting for the day when you no longer feel nervous or afraid, you may find yourself waiting for a very, very long time. Franklin Roosevelt once said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”
The things that are worth most in life are usually also the ones that are most intimidating and terrifying. So, take a deep breath, go out there and make your dreams come true one challenge at a time. The best in life is waiting!
I mentally calculated the probability of falling off the humongous roller coaster, which stood at a terrifying 100 metres (328 feet) above the ground, and to me, was the definition of a killing machine. My knees were practically knocking together when we got on the Anaconda. I spent what felt like the longest minute of my life screaming my lungs off, shouting "Mommy" and vowing never ever to listen to my cousins again ..... but, I survived!
Just when I thought the horror was over and done with, TK and Tam beckoned with animated expressions on their faces, "Now, let's go on the Golden Loop." I thought, "Oh no! Not again!" And once more, I found myself on the kind of roller coaster that nightmares are made of.This ride immediately began with a steep, sharp descent at lightning speed, giving us no time to catch our breath. I could hear tens of ear-piercing, glass-shattering screams coming from other passengers behind and in front of me.
Then we raced through a giant loop and were upside down for about 3 seconds (which felt like an hour.) At that point I was pretty sure I was gonna fall off the roller coaster or have a heart attack, and mumbled all kinds of prayers confessing every blunder, mess-up and mistake I'd ever committed (sweets I stole from my mom's candy jar as a kid, all the times I was mean to my sister growing up, and of course the day I shaved off the dog's whiskers) and so forth. 45 excruciating seconds later, the Golden Loop ride was over and I stumbled out of my seat, laughing in sheer disbelief. I couldn't believe I had just survived 2 of the most petrifying rides in the Amusement Park. I felt like Wonder Woman and learned a valuable lesson right there.
Sometimes in life, you've just got to do it afraid. "It" can be anything - taking a new class, moving to a new neighborhood, making a new friend, applying for a job, trying out for a position in a sports team or auditioning for a singing part in a theater production. Whatever your "it" may be, just do it. Grab the bull by the horns and go for it. It'll be worth it, trust me.
Stop procrastinating and making excuses. If you're waiting for the day when you no longer feel nervous or afraid, you may find yourself waiting for a very, very long time. Franklin Roosevelt once said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”
The things that are worth most in life are usually also the ones that are most intimidating and terrifying. So, take a deep breath, go out there and make your dreams come true one challenge at a time. The best in life is waiting!