An iceberg makes life interesting...

“Cause the house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes. The house takes you. Unless, when that perfect hand comes along, you bet and you bet big, then you take the house.” - Oceans 11


I have several friends and family members who despite how utterly disappointed/disillusioned/ fed up they are with their jobs, relationships, direction in life etc. seem to be incapable of taking a risk to try and change their circumstances. I never thought of myself as the ultimate risk taker but I feel like Shakleton ready to take on Antarctica in comparison. Believe me, I’m not a saint by any stretch of the imagination but I’ve “bet against the house” a few times in my life and occasionally I’ve won big, but more often than not I’ve walked or crawled away with a shattered heart, a broken dream, or a drained bank account. Yes, I’m more cynical now than I was at 18 but I can’t say I didn’t try. Moving beyond one’s comfort zone and jumping off the cliff of opportunity is needed in order to grow as a person. You may jump into the great void or you may jump into a beautiful crystal blue ocean but you won’t know until you try! Property, money, relationships, jobs etc are all ephemeral and you can’t take them with you when you finally check out of this life. There is no such thing as security in this world! My wish for 2009 is that these friends and family members take big or small risks in their lives. If you aren’t happy with the status quo; speak up, move on, sell the house, look for a new job, try a new haircut, learn a new language, go out and put your heart on the firing line, but above all push beyond your daily routine and comfort zone and dare to dream big and then ACT on it. I’ll be out there looking for you while I tackle an iceberg or two…