I was staring down at the water, and it was staring right back at me. I had already dipped my toes in, and it was cold. The kind of temperature that makes your brain start negotiating, or even decide on a quick refusal.

Then the voice of my daughter Lucy cut through all of it, "Just jump."

It reminded me of something I had read a week prior from Olivia, a reader of the Optimistic Outlook who submitted an idea for a guest post:

The water doesn't get warmer if you wait to jump.

So I mustered a little courage and jumped in. The coldness was exactly as advertised. My first instinct was to get out as fast as possible. But then something strange happened. The temperature didn't change, but my body did. It adjusted. And what followed was one of the most refreshing swims I've ever had in the intercoastal waterway in Wilmington, NC.

That's the thing about jumping. The conditions rarely improve while you wait. What actually changes is the story your mind builds. The longer you stand at the edge, the colder the water gets, at least in your head.

So whatever you're standing at the edge of right now, consider this your nudge.

Life rewards those who jump. Not because jumping is easy, but because the people who wait never find out what awaits them on the other side.

Lucy knew it. Olivia knew it. Now you do too.

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.