Living without a Net

In the last few weeks I have attended several funerals of people I love. The only common denominator is that they are now gone. Some were very young, others had lived a full and rewarding life. Time is an indescriminate taskmaster. The days and hours tick away the same for each of us, but the end often comes unexpectedly. Death never asks if we have fulfilled our dreams, lived our lives to the fullest, or contributed anything of value to society.

So why not live life without a net? There may be a lot to be said for security, stability and cautious living, but the truth is we are all going to die in the end. Who is it that we most often admire in this world - its the risktakers. We long to be the cowboys in the untamed west, we revel in the achievements of those who tempt death to reach the peak of Mt. Everest or overcome the most adverse circumstances to succeed against all odds.

Untethered is defined as "unbound, without limits, to be freed from bondage." What is it in your life that holds you back from living your dreams? What obstacles, tethers or chains are confining you? I am convicned the greatest obstacles to living an untethered life are the contraints we place on ourselves. When I hear someone say, "I could never go whitewater rafting, or parachute out of plane," I simply ask, "Why?" Beyond the limitations in our own psyche - what's stopping you?