Not Afraid To Die

Whenever I go on a solo adventure, whether surfing out front or on a road trip hundreds of miles away, I always receive a slight concerning expression from my parents when I leave the house. They always tell me to be careful and be safe. They worry if they don’t hear from me after a period of time and only relieved when I’m finally back home. 

Perhaps it’s just their caring nature. But I feel in today’s era, the media has portrayed the outside world as perilous. The constant stream of atrocities and horror stories that are meant to draw one’s attention has created a pessimistic view of world. The best thing to do is to lock yourself inside your home and stay safe. Don’t leave the house and don’t go outside because it’s dangerous.

I ask myself all the time, how dangerous is surfing? Very dangerous. How risky is driving? What are the chances of an accident? How dangerous is mountain biking? Have you seen all the crashes and injuries? I’m aware of all the risks and the potential for mishap. So why do I still have no hesitation to do those activities? 

Because life is all about taking risks. If you don’t take risks, you can’t have fun. We have a choice each and every day. We can go out and pursue what gives us fulfillment, or stay home and do nothing because we’re scared of taking risks. I choose to take those risks. I choose to accept the chance of getting in a car accident, crashing on my mountain bike, or drown while surfing. If I had the choice between a life that is long and meaningless, or short but where I experience life to the fullest, I would choose the latter.

This mentality does not mean being reckless. It’s about developing risk management where it isn’t necessary to be shielded from every potential danger. To live in a constant state of fear, fear of injury, illness, death, by reasons that aren’t even statistically significant, is not living.

A life lived in constant fear is not worth living. 

We all have to realize that we are lucky to be alive each day. We don’t know what could happen tomorrow. I believe those who live life to the fullest are not afraid of dying, because they have done what they wanted up until this point. And if I vanish or die while I’m out doing what I love, well 🤷‍♂️, at least I lived.

March 24, 2020 | Philosophies