In a world filled with restrictions and governed by fear, to be daring seems to be, today, a rebellious act. To push one’s boundaries is not as praised as it used to be. To be daring is not a feature that is considered overly positive or necessary to teach to toddlers. As a matter of fact, it is a quality that tends to be excessively overlooked and barely mentioned in any self-description.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
― Andre Gide
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About five years ago, I embarked on this journey of jotting down my thoughts and share it in the open space. Concerned by the fact that someone whom I know might come across these pieces, I decided to write in English, and not in my mother-tongue. To a certain extent, it was my strategy to camouflage myself. It went on for moths and as of today still sticks with me, although my fondness for the language eventually outshone the will to hide. Out of the blue, a year later, I resolved to share an excruciatingly therapeutic piece I had barely written with my real life acquaintances. Despite the apprehension and mixed feelings, I dared to take the leap. I was determined to make people see whom I believed to be the ‘real me’. Without that one seemingly simple act, I would not be confident enough today to assert myself as a writer and share my writings blatantly, with no more fear of judgement. This one simple act made me evolve, not only as a writer but also as a person.
To be daring means to accept life’s doomed realities ; it means not hiding from life itself. It is standing up for yourself and honoring your existence’s worth. Daring is accepting yourself, embracing vulnerability. To be daring to be oneself, fully and shamelessly. It means reflecting resilience. To be daring is to embrace your real power. It is pushing the boundaries, rejecting the preconceptions and societal stereotypes. Daring to do something in particular in whatever way one chooses, daring to be seen in a new light reminds us of the importance of non-conformity. It embodies the quintessential value of human beings: uniqueness.
To be daring means displaying the all-encompassing package of your being. It entails to cast fear aside, be it coming from yourself, others or regarding your surroundings. It means setting yourself free from your own mental blocks. It is refusing to hold back for the sake of tranquility, for, it is not supposed to be encapsulated by the film title alluding to life as ‘a long quiet river’.
To be daring means being ready to live life to the fullest, no matter what is at stake. Boldness is indeed the pathway to life-changing opportunities.
“All serious daring starts from within.”
― Eudora Welty
What is your definition of daring?
Tales in Lostness 