You may be wondering why I would use a picture of myself thrashing around in a pool of water for my profile picture. Well, here's the story:

We were camping a couple of weeks ago in the forest above Marble, Colorado. Our camp was close to 10,000 feet in elevation, next to the cascading waterfalls of the Crystal River. My brother-in-law came up with the bright idea to swim in the pool below one of the waterfalls. Keep in mind, this is a snow-fed river, temperature of the water in the low 40 degrees.
                                                                                                    

                                                                                

Something you need to know about me is that I hate to be cold. Funny, considering where I live we have six months of winter. I love being by the fire, drinking hot tea, and feeling the fresh cool air. I just want to be in my flannel jammies & thick socks while I'm at it!

In the past I tended to hide behind fear, never venturing out of my comfort zone in any way. Over the past few years, though, I've been on a personal journey and pushing myself to do things I would never have done before. Both in business and personal life. So when the suggestion to swim in the frigid water was made, I heard this voice saying, "OK, I will if you will," and then realized it was me talking. Yikes!!!

Next thing I know, I'm in our tent putting on my swimming suit (and wool socks). Yep, that's me stepping boldly down the path towards the river, quickly before I can change my mind. Then plunging into the water. I'm gasping, I'm screaming, I'm paddling around like a crazy person, then climbing out as fast as I can before my body temperature drops. I was in the water for about 30 seconds, long enough to swim to the waterfall and back, without getting hypothermia. But as you can see from the picture, I was also grinning from ear to ear. I DID IT! And I felt AWESOME!

                                                                                    

In life sometimes when we face challenges - in business, our lifestyle, or relationships, we have to take the plunge, set fear aside and just jump in. We will emerge stronger, more sure of ourselves, and with that inner cheer saying, "Yay for you - you did it!"

Even though it wasn't my idea, I was the only person to act on it and actually jump into the river that day. If you hear something that catches your attention, don't be afraid to take action just because it wasn't your idea to begin with. Who knows, everyone else may be too afraid to risk acting, and you can lead the way.

So, what's your challenge? What icy-cold mountain river did you jump into today? I'd love to hear about it!