Crap Hurts

Don't know if you can really tell what you're looking at (other than a fish...) but if you look near the fish's belly fin you might notice a hook hanging out of the little area just above the belly fin. This, my friends, is a fish who swallowed a hook and tried to crap it out. Yeah. A pleasant notion, right?

(And FYI: This is a Bass my dad caught back in June...not the 10lb Catfish I caught Labor Day Weekend. That is NOT his hook but one left there by a previous fisher person. Think how long he's likely had that hook hung up in his crapper. hehehe)

Looking at this picture really got me to thinking. You know, we take a lot of chances in our lives. Reaching and grabbing hold of things that we think we want. Things we believe are neccessary to live. We tear into opportunities truly believing that it's something that we need.

How many times, though, have you felt like this fish? You got what you think you wanted only to end up in a really painful situation. (i.e. crapping a hook)

This hasn't happened to me lately but I have to wonder if maybe I don't take enough chances. Is it worth it to not ever experience any of the really painful situations if it means you never experience anything really wonderful either?

I just got to thinking this morning as I was lying in bed. It was one of those mornings where I woke up way too soon but was too tired to actually get out of bed. So I just laid there thinking. I thought about all the things that I didn't chase after. All the times I played it safe and ended up with nothing worth while. Sure, I'm relatively unscathed but there isn't anything truly great in my life.

But...The few times I did jump after something without thinking it through I ended up like that fish. A bloody painful mess. Filled with regret, recriminations and more "I'm stupids" than I care to remember.

So how do we find a balance between taking chances and risks and being cautious? And how does one stop themselves from becoming overly cautious? Is it possible to break a lifetime's worth of bad habits in order to take a few risks?

I'll tell you a little bit of why I'm thinking this. You remember that job opportunity I talked so heavily about a while back? Well, playing it safe, I talked myself right out of it and now it's nearly out of my grasp. I kept thinking of all the reasons why I didn't want to take it instead of all the reasons why I should have at least tried for it. It's really funny, too. Not "ha ha" funny, but you know, ironic-ish funny. I tell everyone else to at least try for the things they're afraid of and let what will be, be. But I don't practice what I preach. I don't throw myself out there and let myself sink or swim. I don't really leave the big decisions in God's hands. I shove them aside and don't think about them until it's too late.

*sigh*

So, what's better? Playing it safe and never getting anything? Or risking a world of pain for just the chance of something better?