I mentioned earlier this week that I was going to feature some of my favorite quotes during the month of October. I have so many favorites that it’s hard to choose, so I just decided to refresh the page to see which quote happened to randomly appear at the top of the page. This is what I got:
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.” ~ Helen Keller
I love this quote, but I could also summarize it in three words: “Take a risk!” To me Helen is telling us that we are not truly living unless we step into the unknown and face the unimaginable. It’s so true. Reminds me of a rapid-fire email conversation I had with Amy the other day about some new web design projects I was taking on:
Me: “Yeah – some deadlines…I’m shuffling things around to make this work…I still have 6 projects on my plate from freelancing and they know that so they are cutting me some slack til I can get those finished. This company will be pretty steady work for me and when there are slow times I can pump out more GCW designs. I still intend to draw one per week. I just had over 2000 uniques yesterday and sales are way up so it’s going well. Did you hear our band? Four Wall Flight
Amy: “Yes – been to the band site – you guys sound great! Good for you, Gretchen. Did you plan all of this as you dreamed of the Girls theme and happened upon Joomla! on Fantastico?? lol! Neat story.”
Me: “No. Planning sucks. I prefer to wander around and amuse myself as I go. All kinds of fun stuff just pops up that way. :)”
Amy: “Me, too. ”
Although I DO plan some things in my life, I have no guarantees. Everything I have accomplished in the last 2+ years of Girls Can’t WHAT? has been the result of taking risks. Had I not stepped out and and followed my dream, I would have missed out on so much – this site, new friends, my band… I have been living a daring adventure. Have you?
10 comments
Katrine May Eichi
i belived that the life is a daring advemture because your adventure start when you are born because example: you are crying sometime you are hungry etc. so your family need to understand you and when you are growing up you are becoming a silly girl or boy so your parents need to discipline you but be careful when you are too much they will going to spank you
xoamillion2onex0
I guess I’m daring because I am a volunteer female firefighter. I have to take risks every time there is a fire call. I just got back from one and I am tired. It is a tedious job but very rewarding. I don’t mind being the only girl, I just learn to simply be “one of the guys” I guess you can say. I’m use to the jokes and “guy talk”. In one ear and out the other I suppose. :)
CyberCelt
Living an adventure is the story of my life. I am slowing down as I age, thank you Jesus, so things could get boring. I wanted to skydive on my 50 birthday, but a good friend of mine died and I did not really do much. When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a race car driver. Although I am 55, I still do not know exactly what I want to be when I grow up. LOL
gretchen
Hey Angela – thanks for the tip. I will put that on my reading list. b-)
Angela at mommy bytes
Along these lines, you should check out The Daring Book for Girls, modeled after the The Dangerous Book for Boys. I haven’t read it, but have heard good reviews.
Here from the carnival.
gretchen
Hey Pamela – thanks for dropping by. What is it you’d really love to do?
Pamela
here from the carnival.
hmmmm… am I daring? Being a “mature” woman, I guess blogging is daring for me.
I would like to quit my job and just do something I really loved to do tho. I might starve… (:
Kel1
I’m sure. I have a thing about heights, remember? :)) But you go ahead and have fun. Take pictures. ;)
gretchen
I agree – it is who you become and not what you do. However, skydiving and cliff jumping sound like a lot of fun to me. You sure you don’t wanna come with me? b-)
Kel1
I find that currently, my most daring adventure is becoming a mom. No, seriously.
I am half nuts–insanity is always just a breath away. A daring adventure for me and the kids. :D
I can plan my entire day only to have it fall apart in under 30 seconds. A daring adventure…
I can do my best at being a mom only to have it backfire in my face. Such is life, such are people. It’s a daring adventure, a risk I’m willing to take.
There are days when just getting out of bed is a daring adventure for me. There is no relaxation here. No moments of peace.
The only time I get my sanity is when I am out of “mom” mode and doing something that does not involve cajoling, arguing, and disciplining people around me. Like, being in my band, for instance. I don’t have to argue and cajole–they just automatically do whatever I say. =)) Okay, that was a joke. :D
In the past two years, I’ve tried new things only to find that they didn’t work out quite like I’d hoped. But that’s okay, it’s part of the adventure. I’m still trying the band thing, hoping that we will make a difference with our music. That is my dream, as me. Not as my kids’ mom, though I value that role highly.
I don’t want to go skydiving or cliff jumping, because to me, the adventure is just in day to day living. Planning is great, but let’s be honest–life is never quite what you’ve planned it to be.
It’s not what you DO, it’s who you become that is the biggest adventure, in my opinion.
And I’m still workin’ on it. ;)