About a week ago, I had a riveting dream and wanted to tell you about it.

I was walking across this vast property, with a lake glistening behind an outdoor grotto, on an 80 degree, ‘buttery, baby-blue-sky kind-of-day', with poufy pillow clouds framing the streams of sun as they brushed my face. I'm sure you know the kind of day I'm describing. 

The next thing that happens, I’m talking to a man, who looks a little like Gerald Ford, and this is the summarized version of what he said to me, “I’m the second richest man in the world and this is my property, I’m dying of cancer, and I have no idea how much time I have left.”

After an intake of breath I said, “What are you going to do with all of your money when you’re gone?”

And as I say that, I look around at all of the staff who encircle us working and playing, people he's clearly taken good care of and even in this moment of our conversation,...

I did it. But 5 minutes before I got on air, I contemplated NOT doing it.

“Maybe I’ll just call the station manager and let him know I can’t do it,” I thought as my entire body went into ‘surfboard’ panic mode. Muscles lost the ability to move, stomach nauseous, my head started to float away from my neck and my jaw locked. Yep, panic!

This post is about what happens when we hit THAT inevitable moment when we’re on our Growing Edge, the risk is real, and we have to choose. It’s also to remind you to find somewhere, anywhere to get out of what’s safe, secure and stretch yourself. It builds new pathways in the brain, it makes you more humble and less likely to judge others, and it lays the groundwork for your more fulfilled life.

Here’s the story.

At that 5 minute mark, Diana texted me. It helped. Earth to Sam. Diana to Sam. That’s right, I’m here and I can do this.

Then...

Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, gave us a new language to understand “expertise” and the “study of” a subject.  I found it fascinating to think about the subjects that I had dedicated that kind of time to.

While we may gain wisdom and consciousness through the study of ourselves over a lifetime, we also become more concluded about who we think we are.  I hear it lots of times, “It’s just the way I am.”  Or, “I know what I’m good at and what I’m not.”  Maybe even, “I’ve learned my lessons through my experiences, I know what I’m doing now”.

Think about spending 10,000 hours to:

1. Learn how to protect our vulnerabilities.
2. Perfect behavioral strategies for getting what we want.
3. Prove that we’re right about how we’ve chosen to live.
4. Decide who to blame for the pain and suffering in our lives.
5. Develop a communication style that ensures that we are in control of...