Happy Monday, my friend.

If you’re in the States and celebrating a long weekend, I hope you’re enjoying it. I am even though I have stepped way outside my comfort zone. Let me explain.

The wife is a bit of a daredevil who enjoys jumping out of planes, rappelling down mountains and things of that nature. She finds these types of activities fun.

My definition of fun is more in line with going out for a wine dinner and to the theater but, because Karen is so awesome, I told her we’d do whatever she wanted this entire weekend.

So, I’ve played tennis (something we both enjoy), been on an eight mile hike in the mountains of Ellijay, GA and yesterday, I went zip lining.

I had never been zip lining and didn’t know what to expect other than I be jumping off the top of mountains and trees hanging on nothing but a wire. Good times.

There were four levels of “excitement.” Karen decided that we would do level three. I had to agree since she told me that level one and two were for fraidy cats. Well, your fearless leader is no fraidy cat so level three it was!

Level one was fun and I think to myself, “This is a piece of cake.” But then we moved to level 2 and that’s when I saw it: A rickety bridge, that swayed in the wind, high in the air, and connected us from one tree to the next. I hate that kind of stuff but I had no choice.

Karen walked across each of the boards across the bridge with total glee. She was in hog heaven. I, on the other hand, gripped the wire sides of the bridge with such force that you would have thought I was trying to snap them. I was in hog hell but I did make it across without incident.

I’ll spare you the story of having to walk across a tightrope to get to another zip line but suffice to say, it was even worse than the bridge.

Anyway, we finished with level three and then we got the add-on sale pitch. “Who here wants to go on the Guinness Book of World Records longest and largest zip line canopy tour in the world? It’s like jumping off a 30 story building!”

Everyone in our merry little group enthusiastically raised their hands…except for one. Why the heck would I want to do that? I had made it through level 3 and thought that was good. Now everyone wanted to do the longest and fastest line on level 4.

Peer pressure sucks and I succumbed to it.

Since you’re reading this now, you know that I made it. I must admit it was exhilarating. Fun? Maybe. Still not sure.

So what can we learn from my little tale of adventure?

First, I am the world’s greatest husband. 🙂

Second, anytime you try something new, you are not going to be great at it and that there will be some fear factor involved. But once you do it a couple times, the fear begins to dissipate and you get better at it.

By the end of the zip line tour, I was crossing bridges quickly and with ease. Still not enjoying it but doing it without as much trepidation and with much more skill.

So, if you’ve never spoken on stage or stepped in front of a camera to do a live streaming event, odds are you’re going to be nervous, uptight and maybe even think you’ve made a mistake, But once you do it, you’ll see that it was easier than you thought.

Okay, the wife just woke up. Time for me to go and see what “fun” thing she has planned for us today. Wish me luck.

Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!

Dave “Mr. Adventure” Dee