Stay in over your head

“Over your head” is a slang phrase, referring to being in water that is over your head, too deep to stand, and therefore too much to handle.

But for growth, that’s the place to be.

Whatever you’re doing in your life right now, if it’s become a routine, it’s time to move on to something new and scary.

Abraham Maslow wrote, “Life is an ongoing process of choosing between safety (out of fear and need for defense) and risk (for the sake of progress and growth): Make the growth choice a dozen times a day.”

Whatever scares you, go do it.

Your thoughts?
Please leave a reply:


Comments

  1. Joe White (2008-03-26)

    Hi Derek

    For years I would drive by the cruise ship terminal at Southhampton in the south of England and dream of playing in a band on a cruise ship. The years went by and I worked as a weekend musician playing gigs and for a couple of years I landed full time bar band contracts.

    Then a call came to drop every thing and take a contract with P & O cruise lines and fly with my trio to Vancouver Canada to join the ship. I had no idea where Vancouver was and that it was the other side of the world but without thinking I said ok. The guys left family and friends and came with me and it change all our lives in fact we emigrated to Canada. They have now gone on to do other things.

    The years were good for me but that was in the 1970's and my style of music went out of fashion so I had to take other work which I did not enjoy to earn a living.

    Now thanks to the computer and synthesizers I am fullfiling a life long dream to compose and market my music.

    I have no idea how it will work out and to what degree of success I will have but the joy I get from doing what I love is what really counts for me.

    I have taken a number of leaps of faith in my life, even when a fell flat on my face I felt that it was good that I had tried. I am a great believer in going with your gut feeling.

    My message is do'nt die thinking I wish I had done that.

    Joe

  2. Char Butler (2008-03-29)

    Thanks Derek,

    I totally agree with you and appreciate your thoughts and your great website CD Baby. Thanks, Char

  3. Ancros (2011-04-29)

    ¿Y si eso que te asusta es algo malo?

  4. Mathieu Arseneault (2019-10-29)

    Love that !
    It comforts me in my discomfort.
    Makes my day !
    Thanks Derek.

  5. Sean Crawford (2022-08-25)

    Another growth is getting better at "know thyself." I have become more accepting of how much fear is OK for me. Sure I read self-help books about entrepreneurs... while for me specifically I am a country mouse, not a city mouse.

    I once saw a TV news feature about university graduates who had changed to blue collar trades so their daily life would have less fear, and they wouldn't bring work home in their brief case.

    Knowing my limitations, I remember having a rigid rule that not a single scrap of paper ever left my office. Less guilt, and twice as easy to find any errant pages.