If you’re not afraid, then you’re not taking risks. If you’re not taking risks, then you’re not doing something original.

There’s absolutely something to be said about the comfort zone. After all, it’s pretty darn comfortable in there. We can feel all warm and cozy in its predictability and familiarity. And we can absolutely retreat back to it on a regular basis to rest, relax and recharge our batteries. At the same time, though, I think most of us can agree that nothing grows in the comfort zone. As Beau Willimon, creator of House of Cards, so eloquently puts it, sometimes we need to be afraid. And fear isn’t necessarily something we should, well, fear.

Realistically speaking, it is perhaps the anticipation or expectation of catastrophic danger that we fear more than a realistic assessments of the risks. Remember what actress Emily Mortimer said about jumping out of an airplane? Even if we don’t take the metaphor literally, perhaps she’s right that there is a freedom to this sense of no turning back. Once you’ve jumped, you can’t retreat back into the plane. You’ve got to see this thing through, afraid or not.

Into the Wild, Beau Willimon Style?

Let’s apply what Beau Willimon said to a specific example in my life. Would you believe that prior to the first #5DadsGoWild camping trip in 2018, I had never been camping in a tent before in my life. Ever. Before that, my only experience with camping was in grade 8 where we stayed in cabins with plumbing, electricity, heat and adult supervision. Absolutely, I was afraid. I was scared of bears eating me or the cold weather freezing me to death. I was scared of my inability and my lack of “outdoorsy” experience.

But, I survived to tell the tale.

Call it hubris, maybe, but I approached our second trip with a newfound sense of confidence. I mean, how bad could it be? Well, as you might recall, my tent collapsed under the snow the following year. That was certainly something. And it was certainly something “original,” as Beau Willimon might put it, especially since I was able to document some of that experience in the vlog and on social media. I took a risk. Did it pay off? Maybe.

This year, our trip is even later in the year. So, it’s even colder and snowier. Right now, the weather forecast is calling for daytime highs right around the freezing mark. And overnight lows dip as far as -15C (or colder) with plenty of snow on the way too . Honestly, I’m scared. Hubris? Perhaps. Risky? Totally. Original? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

There’s Never a Perfect Time

One major component to fear and risk is this sense of preparedness or timing. I can’t do it now, because (fill in the blank) reason. When (arbitrary requirement is true), then I can (do the thing). But, if you keep waiting around for your ducks to get in a row, you’ll be waiting until the cows come home. Mixed metaphors aside, there is never a “perfect” or “ideal” time for anything. You just have to do the thing and learn as you go.

Like becoming a parent. There’s no “best” age to have children, per se, as there are innumerable pros and cons either way. I was petrified, terrified, overwhelmed about becoming a dad. Then, I did it and even wrote a book about it. The journey (and the book) might not be completely original. And that’s okay. Just as what I try to do on this blog, on YouTube, on social media and elsewhere might not be completely original, but it is a risk every time I click the “publish” button.

And when you take a risk, when you’re afraid, you run the risk of doing something truly original. Magical, even. You just need to take that leap of faith and do it. Otherwise, you’ll always be trapped in the comfort zone.