I Dare You - Jeffrey Alan Hall

I Dare You!

"Stand boldly on the precipice of life and fear not what lie ahead. Stretch out your arms and embrace the lady of chance. Walk the tight rope without a net-out on the fringes where all the action is. Inhale a deep and intoxicating breath of courage and take a leap of faith. Conquer the fear within, set sail in uncharted waters, and ride on the winds of bliss. Move away from what seems safe and towards what feels right. Become your highest gift. I dare you!"

— Jeffrey Alan Hall

There we were—six of us—legends in our own minds-perched high on the edge of a jagged cliff some forty-feet above the raging river below. Looking up from the ground, it had all seemed so simple—a cakewalk—climb up the side of the rock and dive fearlessly into the water. But now, after an exhausting trek up a wet and slippery trail in forty-five degree weather, I wasn't so sure. I stood there facing a very big first step—cold, shivering and scared out of my mind!

A bunch of college freshmen, we had taken the summer off to volunteer as park rangers in Yellowstone. We thought of ourselves as macho, thrill seeking, mountain-men, hell bent on taming the West. But as we peeked over the edge of what seemed like Mount Everest, I didn't exactly feel like John Wayne. Truth be told, I wondered how in the heck I got into this mess! Was there any way a respectable, self-proclaimed mountain man could, maybe, sneak back down to the safety below without anyone noticing? I had no sooner considered my escape route when suddenly words that sent testosterone shooting through my veins filled the air.

"We dare you!"

Our girlfriends had taken on the role of cheerleaders and were now challenging our masculinity from the comfortable safety of lawn chairs scattered along the shore. Those three little words summoned all of our collective courage. Call it stupidity, a total lack of respect for our own mortality or simply wanting to impress the girls, but suddenly each of us jumped as if our manhood were at stake. We hit the river feet first with a force that turned the water into concrete—surfaced—and grinning from ear to ear, slapped high-fives. We had conquered our fears and most importantly, we had survived. We almost drown from laughing so hard!

What about you? Are you standing on the edge of your own self-made cliff afraid to move forward and jump into the waters of life? Do you need someone to simply say, "I dare you?" If you feel this way, you're not alone. A recent Harris poll found that 65% of baby-boomers are dissatisfied with their lives. Many of us feel that we have yet to realize our dreams and reach our full potential. Many of us feel trapped and afraid to change. We stand on the precipice looking towards a better tomorrow, but we just can't seem to find the courage to jump.

But what are we so afraid of? Why do we think we must tip toe from womb to tomb? What do we think we will lose?—our lives? If we are afraid to live for fear of dying, doesn't that make us dead already? If we can't live the life we truly desire, what's the point of living?

If you see yourself in this scenario and you're ready to make some serious changes in your life, I dare you to take a minute and read the challenges I've listed below. They're not easy to implement and each will take some time to get use to. But if you're really serious about becoming the person you were meant to be, you have to begin to think differently about life. The definition of insanity is to do things the way you've always done them but expect a different outcome. Don't fall for that trap. Vow to change your life right here, right now.

I dare you to...

Live the unimaginable life, a life built upon your dreams, hopes and desires. Don't wait to see it before you believe it. Believe it and you will see it! Act upon your own definition of what it means to be truly alive and never settle for anything less. Decide what your legacy will be and begin to live it!
Listen deeply to your hearts desire and believe in the one clear voice that resides within your soul and knows you better than any other human being ever could. Go within to find the answers. Be still and embrace the silence. Become comfortable with only yourself, your thoughts, your being. Know that you are complete and perfect just as you are.
Learn to manifest your own destiny. You can control and determine the course your life will take. The same power that flows through the Universe flows through you. Harness the power within. Jesus said, "Ye too will be gods." Believe it! Act upon it!
Volunteer for anything that involves extending a helping hand to another. Get up and out of your comfort zone and throw yourself into a cause—any cause—that will improve mankind. Become an angel for someone—anyone—that needs your special gifts. Encourage another human being to reach for the stars and be the best they can be. Coach them to their highest potential and be there when they need a friend.
Love with unbridled passion and truly commit yourself to another without fear of rejection or in an attempt to get something in return. Just give—give until it hurts. Your pain will be replaced by an abundance of love as it flows back to you, often from sources you never knew existed.
Listen for the cliquing noise—that unmistakable sound of compromise and follow the herd mentality. Walk away from any group or organization (religious or otherwise) that expects you to behave in a certain way. If it feels like a clique, it is a clique. God did not intend for us to behave like cattle. Can I hear an "Amen!"
Vow to eliminate all toxic relationships from your life once and for all. Life is too short to put up with anyone who abuses you physically, mentally or spiritually. Surround yourself with only those who will offer a helping hand along the path of light. Look for cheerleaders not nay-sayers. Choose your friends carefully. Hang out with only those people that walk the talk. Do their actions match up with their beliefs? If not, move on. Phony people are a dime a dozen.
Live simply, yet comfortably. Ignore the advertising campaigns of Madison Avenue and purchase only those things you truly need. Try putting a week or two between your desire for something and actually purchasing it. If you do this you will be surprised how many things simply fade away from your desires. Live within your means. Spend less than your weekly paycheck and save the unspent portion. Life is easier to navigate with money in the bank. When you don't need a job to survive from week to week, decisions about your future become easier to make.
Worry less about how you look and more about how you think. Spend as much time exercising your mind as you do your body. Strive to put plastic surgeons out of business by becoming comfortable with your appearance. Let your inner light outshine any physical flaw that you think you may have. Wear the orange shirt with the purple plaid slacks if that feels like the right thing to do.
Learn to have fun! When asked what they would have done differently if they could live their lives over, a group of centurions replied, "Eat more ice cream!" Enjoy each moment as if it were your last. (And don't forget the chocolate sprinkles on top!)

We were all put on earth to live authentic lives—it's our absolute birthright. Yet sadly, many of us will come to the end of our lives having lived someone else's dream—spending far too much of our precious time working at jobs and living lives that should have belonged to someone else. Our work life and our personal life (often intertwined) must be in alignment with our highest ideals and beliefs or we will dread every minute of every day. Believing in world peace but working in a bomb factory because you need the money will not make for a happy camper.

But, then, maybe you don't work in a bomb factory but don't work at something you really love either. Maybe you never really showed up for your life but, rather, let life kind of happen to you. Perhaps you got so swept up in the raging waters of just trying to earn a living that now reversing or even modifying your direction seems all but impossible. But guess what, it doesn't have to be that way. You can be the person you were meant to be. You can live a genuine and uniquely different life—the life that is you and no one else.

How? Stand boldly on the precipice of life and fear not what lie ahead. Stretch out your arms and embrace the lady of chance. Walk the tight rope without a net—out on the fringes where all the action is. Inhale a deep and intoxicating breath of courage and take a leap of faith. Conquer the fear within, set sail in uncharted waters, and ride on the winds of bliss. Move away from what seems safe and towards what feels right. Become your highest gift. And for crying out loud, eat more ice cream! I dare you!

Some Things To Consider

What does your cliff look like? Why are you afraid to jump off? Who's watching you? Who will dare you? Find that person—the one who can get you to jump—and beg them to stand behind you and push!