Are you afraid to try or are you afraid to fail?

To swear off mistakes is very easy. All you have to do is swear off having ideas.

- Leo Burnett, advertising pioneer

A well-lived life is not for the timid. The world was never meant to be approached with extra caution and fear of making mistakes. Kids know that you have to jump in feet first and be willing to take some lumps on the head if you're going to have any fun. When did we stop trying new things? Why did we stop taking risks? In large part, we're afraid of messing up. We've settled into our comfort zones and don't want to look like a fool to ourselves or others. What's the price we pay for our pursuit of perfection? No growth, no sense of discovery, few real experiences. The sacrifice isn't worth it. Are there points in your life that you wish you could have back because you didn't pursue an idea or a new interest? Those chances are gone forever--but you'll have more in the future to take full advantage of. It's been said that most people don't learn much that's new past their 20s. That's an awful long time to stay stagnant. The only mistake you should be afraid to make is not trying. sparkpeople.com healthy reflections

Lumps on the head. How many of us learned our lesson afterward or did we require a few more wacks? Jump off the cliff--out of the safety zone--guess what? Sometimes when you jump, you find out that it wasn't such a long way down. It was just an optical illusion. Ya never know unless you try. So go ahead, take that watercolor class, lead a teleconference, or go bowling. want something bigger? Stepping out of the zone may mean saying "No, I can't do that for you right now. Maybe another time.", speaking to your boss about a well deserved raise in a confident manner well thought out reasons why you are so valuable to the company, or start investigating a new line of work, if that is where your heart is. I'm learning, if it's a little exciting and yet a little scary--Try it...You might like it!