Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

 – Nobel laureate Andre Gide

Uncertainty. It scares people. A lot of people spend a good portion of their lives trying to reduce or eliminate it. In general, people want to feel warm and cozy in their lives. Risk is to be minimized, chances not taken. Michele and I can’t do that. We both know people who are happy with that life, and that’s great for them. It’s just most definitely not for us.

A lot of people think we’re crazy for following our dream to sail over the horizon. One of the first questions they ask is what happens if something goes wrong? I always tell them something will go wrong. The question is better phrased “what will you do when something goes wrong?” We’ll do exactly what we have always done. Deal with it and persevere.

We have been sky diving, scuba diving, rock climbing, and many other “extreme” activities… yet we don’t think of ourselves as “extreme” or adrenaline junkies or risk seekers. We know our limits and (usually) stay within them. I don’t see the point of not pushing yourself, however. How do you know you won’t like skydiving? Try it.

Do you have the courage to lose sight of whatever shore you are clinging to? I hope so. Grow in yourself and seize the opportunities life gives you. Follow your dreams. Follow the horizon.

Follow the Horizon is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo). NaBloPoMo is for bloggers who commit to post each day in the month of May.