Mark Twain
Safe is a word that many people
use every single day. Safe is also a place where everyone wants to be. We are
then secure and nothing will hurt us. The truth is that while nothing will hurt
us, we are hurting ourselves.
Going out on a limb as Mark
Twain so aptly put it can be stressful. There may be dangers lurking in the
corners and we might stumble and fall. Yes, these possibilities do exist. It
does not mean that they are inevitable and guaranteed to happen.
If we stand still, we give way
to turning into stone. Apathy takes over our lives and we find ourselves in a
self-imposed prison with bars of failure. Not trying constitutes never knowing
if you could. If you are a writer and you don't put your ideas down on paper,
you will never experience the thrill of having people take your words and make
them a part of their lives. If you are a mechanic, not going out on a limb will
never give you the feeling of accomplishment in knowing that you solved the
problem, you found the source, and you helped someone. All jobs and careers
involve the possibility of advancement, increased knowledge, or the ability to
reach out and make a difference in the lives of other people.
The fruit at the end of the limb
may be a new friendship, the learning of a new skill or technique, and even the
wonderful warm feeling of having done a day's work for a day's pay. When you
serve that order in a fast-food restaurant, even if your efforts are not
readily appreciated, you know that this person was treated in a very pleasant
and helpful way. You did what you could do, and hopefully, they will go on to
do something nice to someone else. You started the chain reaction or you kept
it going. Either way, you did not stand still, you did not stagnate, and you
made a difference.
Your words, your actions and
your attitude will be evident to everyone around you. There is always the
possibility that someone you think is out of hearing distance or is just not
paying any attention does take note of you. Don't risk the chance that they
just may need to hear a person that takes life and makes the most of it. This
hope of knowing that one person out there is not going to let the world get
them down may just be the push they need to keep on trying and not quitting.
As an author, when you tell your
story, or relate your feelings, or even report on an event, it's the way you
present what you are writing and in essence, it is sharing yourself with
others. Your words may be just what someone needed to read at that very moment
to make that life decision to keep on going.
Whether you do write, or paint,
or work in a factory, you are what the world will see today. Go out on that
limb. Do not let a single day go by that you don't give your world all the
strength you can muster, and the ability to know that you are reaching for that
fruit at the end of your limb. Maybe, and you may never really know, you helped
someone start climbing their own tree and even reach that prize that at first
seemed so far out of reach. Believe in yourself, reach out for new heights, and
give only the best example of what a person can do with the life they are
given. You will reach people, you will touch hearts, and you may just be the
person that makes a difference to another between closing that prison door of
self-imposed failure or opening a window and breathing in the fresh air.
Whatever you do in life is never
self-contained. Every action is like a pebble that is thrown in the water. The
ripples grow larger and larger. Your actions or attempts at living the best
life you can will have that same effect in the world. If you don't throw in
your stone, then that ripple may not reach the one person where only you can
make a difference. Don't let this tragedy happen. Give of yourself to whatever
you undertake so that others may grow. Your own harvest will just be that much
sweeter.
Copyright May 2002 Arleen M.
Kaptur
Arleen Kaptur has written
numerous articles, e-books, and the novel: SEARCHING FOR AUSTIN JAMES
Websites: http://www.arleenssite.com http://www.Arleens-RusticLiving.com
http://www.rusticliving.info http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving/
http://topica.com/lists/simpleliving