20 Seconds of Insane Courage
Something I’ve become acutely aware of over the years, is the power of moments.
An invitation comes your way, and in it lies the power to rewrite your entire future.
Your “yes” or “no” will take you on two completely different paths.
The “20 seconds of insane courage” phrase comes from the movie We _Bought a Zoo_.
One of my intimacy retreat participants told me about it a couple of years ago.
Because her 20 seconds of insane courage saved her marriage.
Something she did, something she dared to do, made the difference between she and her husband retrying their marriage and divorcing.
I’ve been staying in the Mentawais this past week. They are an island chain off the coast of Sumatra, in Indonesia. They are famous for having many epic, perfect and remote surf breaks.
And big waves.
There is a moment when you are lined to catch a wave, and you have to make the decision to go or back off it.
When you watch really experienced surfers, they take nearly every wave.
Of course, they are more skilled at picking good waves.
But they’ve also trained themselves to “Go!” when the moment comes.
And shred the f**k out of that wave.
It’s beautiful to watch: human and nature co-creating. “Riding the energy of the universe,” as one of my surfer friends likes to say.
Sometimes they go tumbling.
But bodies are meant to sustain a lot of cuts and bruises before they break.
The more they “Go!” the better they get at making it every time.
Coming out unscathed.
And euphoric.
The same 20 seconds (or less—it’s often less) that’s demanded of you shows up everywhere in your life.
It shows up at the point of deep, life-changing orgasms. When you are totally naked and raw, it asks you to let go even more. Surrender a level deeper.
To risk being vulnerable.
It shows up when you open your heart. When you risk loving and being seen.
The price of admission is 20 seconds of insane courage.
You have to be a little bit insane.
Meaning, out of your mind.
Not thinking. Thinking will often kill that moment.
Instead, you tune into your wanting. The deep place in you that wants, without censorship.
And you follow it.
It knows all. As long as your mind doesn’t get in the way.
The thing that becomes so addictive (in the most positive way) about sports like surfing, is that it’s a constant bypass of the mind. And then you carry that way of being out into your life with you.
Where the moment comes, and you jump on it.
Because you usually don’t get a second chance.
To jump into a new life.
New love.
New self.
And the wave carries you.
After you jump.
So jump.
Kxx
