The familiar, playing it safe, and Tony Dungy

It’s so easy to play it safe and stick with what we’re familiar with. But if we only stay there, it will keep us from all the richness life has to offer and ultimately from fulfilling God’s incredible purpose for us.

Claudia and I saw this played out in a small way this past weekend when, instead of  just hanging out as a family as we usually do, we decided to do something different and go to a nearby nature preserve. We had been there in the past, but not since we have had Jude, our two year old.

We weren’t sure if it would be a fun outing as a family or not. Was it too cold? The sun was setting. Would we run out of time?

Well, we decided to give it a try. And, let me tell you, we had a ton of fun!

We jumped in the snow, slid on the ice, and even saw two bald eagles. And the views were just incredible on the nearly 600 acre preserve. With snow on the ground, everything glistened in the afternoon sun. We were certainly glad we tried something different.

Going to the nature preserve was a very small decision, yet it had a big effect on our day. How much more could a big change impact someone’s life!

Tony Dungy, a Superbowl champion both as a player and a coach, said he would never have had the success he had in sports if he had not stepped out and tried something new.

In high school, Tony excelled in basketball, however his parents and coaches encouraged him to get out and try other sports as well, including football. It was actually with football that he ended up finding his niche and going on to great success.

If Tony had just stuck with basketball, he may not have gone on to positively impact literally millions of lives through becoming a coach, best-selling author, and mentor through his All Pro Dad program.

What about you? How have you stepped out and tried something new recently? You can never predict the amount of impact it could have on your day or your life. Let’s remember that life is an adventure and we need to stretch ourselves beyond what’s safe and familiar.

Photo by Claudia Good