We may not all jump off buildings, or walk into fires, but we all face “devils.” For some that means talking to strangers, asking forgiveness, or just getting out of bed in the morning. As a writer, I hike up my courage every time I sit down at the keyboard. Because the biggest risk, the biggest dare, is facing our fears and shortcomings, it’s standing up to the devil called Us.
(Note: This post wasn’t originally intended to coincide with Friday the 13th, or with the rapidly increasing alarm over coronavirus, but oddly enough, I think it applies. May we never let our fears keep us from compassionate acts or doing what is right.)
Click on any image to enlarge it, or to start slide show.
“I’ve seen so much and lived it all. I wanted to bite the earth and taste it. It is both bitter and sweet, and if I had my time to live over again, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.” ~Julie and Marcus McSorley
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” ~Helen Keller
“Everything is a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It’s up to you.” ~Nicola Yoon
“If you take a risk and it doesn’t go as planned, welcome to the club.” ~Fran Hauser
“Putting our art out there is one of the biggest risks we can take. It’s a special kind of vulnerability. It takes guts to be an artist.” ~Teresa R. Funke
“In my opinion half the people who spend their lives avoiding being run over by buses had much better be run over and put safely out of the way.” ~Agatha Christie
“The greatest treasures are found in the most remote and inaccessible places where we must pursue them with great energy and even greater risk. It’s the same with our lives.” ~Craig D. Lounsbrough
Mitch Teemley 
Well said. As the saying goes, life begins outside of our comfort zone.
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It truly does.
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A great post, Mitch. Have a great weekend.
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Thanks, Roberta. You too.
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At the moment I find normal life to daredevily enough for me.
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Now just going into a crowd is a daredevil event.
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First, thank you to every hero–firefighter, bystander, etc. who dares to help in desperate situations.
Second, I’m thinking some of these HAVE to be photo-shopped–like the bus on a mountain curve. As for those that just might be real, I can’t imagine what possesses people to try such stunts. (Of course, they’re young–that explains a lot.) But the one that made me laugh was the mountain goat. Too bad it’s not a video so we can see how he got down!
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;>)
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Awesome, Mitch! Happy Friday the 13th.
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U 2!
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Wonderful Mitch – I so enjoyed this post.
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If you take a risk and it doesn’t go as planned, welcome to the club.” ~Fran Hauser
My favourite and in my own understanding, one must fail in order to get it right. Most people fail several times before they secede. I just hope am right..xoxo
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Right indeed, Tiaa.
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😊😊 Thanks
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Excellent quotes!
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The picture of the guy hanging by his arms inside that building made me queasy.
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Compassion and kindness are where it’s at.
Hi Mitch. Take care.
Neil Scheinin
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Thanks, Neil. You too!
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Most of us, should we look back on the years, could find a photo that depicts each of us in some way. Today we need to help Flatten the Curve and not roll the dice as is often said. Be Safe Mitch and Semper Fidelis!
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/13/815502262/flattening-a-pandemics-curve-why-staying-home-now-can-save-lives
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Great post!
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Thanks, DC!
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I so dig what you blog!
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Thank you!
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I recently came across yet another quote that is relevant, on page 404 of one of two books with the title *From Eternity to Here*:
The next time you open a jar of tomato sauce, it’s possible that you will unleash a mutated pathogen that will wipe out all life on Earth. … When possibilities become as remote as what we’re speaking about here, it’s time to take the risks and get on with our lives.
nbsp; ~ Sean Carroll
The quote was prompted by fears that running the Large Hadron Collider would create microscopic black holes that destroy the world.
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Wow. This particularly puts me in mind of Helen Keller’s quote (above).
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Yup. I also thought it would go well with the Christie and Yoon quotes.
BTW, firing up the LHC did not destroy the world. Whether having DJT as POTUS will do the job is still TBD.
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