I'd Rather Die While I'm Living…

By Paula Renaye

"Let those winds of time blow over my head. I'd rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead." - Jimmy Buffett

I've quoted that line more times than I can begin to count. Sometimes I even lived it--like yesterday. On New Year's Eve, I stepped out of my comfort zone in a variety of ways--and loved it!

My daughter and her husband are avid rock climbers and she'd been trying to get me on a wall for a long time. I did not share her enthusiasm, and after seeing photos of their escapades, I wasn't exactly happy that they were out courting death either. But, yesterday, I went with them to the gym, and when we got there, I was ready to go! They harnessed and roped me up and stood me in front of a really tall and odd-looking wall, went over the basic how-tos, and off I went.

Figuring out how to get started was the hardest part--where to put my hands and feet at first and then where to go next. After a minute or so, I was monkeying my way up and around like I was on a mission to get the best banana. I was determined I was going to make it to the top. I had to rest a couple of times, but I did it--and there's a photo here to prove it. And here's the thing--it felt so good! I did it!

That's how it is in life too, isn't it? We don't want to venture out of our comfort zone. And even when we make the decision to do it--and want to--there's that "now what?" moment. How do I do this? What do I do first? What if I make a wrong move--a mistake? 

And then, you just have to stop analyzing and start doing. At least that's what I did. And before I knew it I was a third of the way up the wall. And here is the really crazy thing--I wasn't afraid of falling or of being up so high, which I figured I would be. I've been on roofs before where I was 30 or more feet up and I was plenty worried about it. But, having that rope there--and my daughter on the end of it--made all the difference in the world. Still, you'd think if I was really afraid of heights I would have been scared anyway.
I'm not sure what it all means just yet, but it will come. All I know is that I did something I didn't think I wanted to do--or even could do--and I actually did it very well and had a great time.

So, I don't know what 2012 means for you, but I know what it doesn't mean for me--fear. This year is going to pass regardless of whether we stay huddled in a cave at the bottom of the mountain or choose to climb out and experience the world. The choice is always ours. 

For me, the choice is easy. I put off living for way too long, doing what others told me I had to and trying to keep up with all my "should" limitations. Yes, I was the walking dead. My choices were not about living and enjoying life, but were about keeping my limiting subconscious programming satisfied. 

So now, and forever more, I'm going with the Buffett plan of living and experiencing life: I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead.

Climb for the sky and live your joy!

Paula Renaye is tough love motivational speaker, certified professional coach and author of the multi-award-winning self-empowerment guide, The Hardline Self Help Handbook, which is on sale for the holidays now at most retailers. Her Tweet-able Tough Love Quotes book is available free for a limited time. Visit http://hardlineselfhelp.com for more information and tips.