What's the big deal?

People always ask me what I'm doing for New Year's Eve and for years my reply is that I am doing nothing. I am not really a fan of new years. I am not a bar scene or party person so why pretend for one night? I used to go to a friend's house for a game night but I hate to be on the road late with all the drunk drivers. So I have settled into this amazing routine of doing nothing.

This year I even said "what's the big deal...it's just another night and another day."  But as society has taught us...let's reflect, let's make resolutions, let's be a different person and lead a different life on January 1. AHHH!

I have read several blogs of both friends and people I do not know in the last couple of days. The trend is so interesting. People are choosing a WORD to represent their year.  The two I read that hit home are "abundance" and "plenty."  For me these two words have really represented my 2012. I came to this realization late in 2011 that I really do have abundance and plenty in my life. I have everything that I need. But do I have everything I want?

What stops us from getting everything we want in life?? Who is telling us to stop?? And why do we stop? Is it too hard? Is someone else telling us we can't? Is our history showing us the future? Do we not have a support system?? Is it guilt - the most useless emotion?

And so for the year 2013 I have two words for myself and I hope they will resonate with you as well.  Over Christmas my dad told me how much he admired my fearlessness. What? Me? Fearless? That's odd. But when I step back and reflect, I really have become fearless in many aspects of my life. I am honest with my thoughts and tell the people who need to hear them, I jump off buildings, I run races that scare me, even putting out this blog was a little scary. But the crazy part is.....it's only scary the first time you do something. 

So my second word is borrowed from Lifetime Fitness. Commitment. But for short...commit. My best example of both fear and commitment came the first time I went to Vegas when I decided to jump off the Stratosphere building. 

http://www.skyjumplasvegas.com/

Terrified. Me. Terrified. You put the harness on, chat with the friendly workers, ride the LONG elevator to the top of the 900 foot building, wait and watch other people do it. It was midnight when I did it the first time. When it was my turn, I went into the very mechanical room where they triple checked my harness, made jokes, and asked me if I was ready. I was doing so much self talk "okay, when they count 1, 2, you jump on 3!" So this very nice guy walked me out to the platform, hooked me up, and said "now walk to the edge" NOOOOO I said. But I inched my way out there, he counted down, and before I knew it (he nudged me off the edge) but then I was flying and could see the entire Vegas skyline and probably all the way to California. I screamed, I opened my arms as wide as I could and felt the wind in my hair. The MOST exhilarating, amazing, experience of my life.

Fast forward to this past December 2012. I go back to Vegas and decide to jump again, but this time during the day. What a different jump this was. I walked up, confident, not scared, a little scared, put my toes on the edge, and jumped on 3. The thing was.....it was only terrifying the first time. The second time I was an old pro.

So in 2013 think of being fearless and committed. This can mean something as simple as saying hi to someone for the first time, asking for what you want at work, taking charge of your health, making food you have never made, walking into a gym, taking piano lessons. Whatever you do this year....do it without fear and be committed. Remember - it's only terrifying the first time. And if nothing in life scares you.....find something!

This photo was not from Sky Jump from ziplining in Boot Leg Canyon, also in Vegas.