What Is Your High Dive?

man doing a high dive into water off of a cliff

A lot of people ask me, “How did you get interested in the virtue of courage?” My answer? It actually started with a profound fear – the high dive!

I was never a great athlete as a kid, but one day at the local pool I “accidentally” did a complete back-flip. I went on to compete in low-board diving – until colleges started asking about my high-board diving.

I didn’t have an answer for them, because I had (and still do have) a profound fear of heights. I had to decide whether to face my fear, or walk away from another sport.

“How did the kid with a profound fear of heights find the courage to jump off his platform of safety, and become a high dive champion?” Tweet This!

Watch this 3-minute video to find out.

 

What is your high dive? How will you take the risk?

 

Interested in learning more about risk and facing your fear? Check out these other posts:

The Impact of Fear on Performance

3 Ways to Harness Fear

 

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

You Might Also Like…

Fear of the Unknown

Fear of the Unknown

A lot has been written about the natural tendency to fear the unknown. In my opinion, the first (and perhaps best) description of this phenomenon comes from the 4000-year-old masterpiece of Plato. In The Republic, Socrates (an early Right Risk-taker) describes fear as...

Cresting as a Leader: Turning Transitions into Triumphs

Cresting as a Leader: Turning Transitions into Triumphs

There’s a certain inevitability to leadership - no matter how high you climb. The view from the top is exhilarating at first—the accolades, the accomplishments, the recognition—but what happens when the climb slows, when the thrill of the ascent gives way to something...

Confidence and Humility

Confidence and Humility

Leadership can feel like walking a tightrope—one where balance is everything. Too much confidence, and you risk alienating those you lead. Too little, and you risk losing their respect. The setbacks leaders face are often not random but rather the natural result of...