人生不設(shè)限·讓我大開眼界的潛水經(jīng)驗

2009年秋天，我嘗試了一件有人認為對我來說太危險的事：我去海里潛水。你們或許猜得到，我玩得很過癮，就像飛行，但著陸地點比較軟。三年前我曾試過要潛水，但當時的指導員只準我換上潛水裝備，在水池里拍打兩下。我想，他是關(guān)心賠償金遠勝于我的安全吧?

In the fall of 2009 I tried something that I'd once been told was way too dangerous for me: I went scuba diving in the ocean. As you probably can guess, I had a blast. It was like flying but with softer landings. I'd tried to scuba about three years earlier, but the instructor would only let me paddle around the pool in scuba gear. I think he was more worried about his insurance than my safety. He was afraid he'd have to explain why that strange guy named Nick was carried off by a shark looking for a bite-size bloke.

我這次的指導員菲利普心胸比較開闊，他在南美洲的哥倫比亞外海一個小島上擔任潛水指導員。我應當?shù)匾粋€豪華度假村主人的邀請，前去演講。當我出現(xiàn)在潛水課上時，菲利普只問了我一句：“你會游泳嗎?”

This time my instructor, Felipe, had a more open mind. He is the dive instructor on a little island off Colombia, South America. I'd been invited to speak there by the owners of the gorgeous Punta Faro Resort on tiny Mucura Island, a national park, just off Cartagena. Felipe's only question to me when I showed up for a scuba lesson was "Can you swim?"

一旦證明了我的適水性，菲利普就給我上了一堂度假村式的潛水速成課。我們設(shè)計了幾種肢體語言，如此一來，我就可以在水中通過移動肩膀或頭，來跟菲利普溝通，讓他知道我什么時候需要幫忙。然后，他帶我到離岸邊不遠的水里進行測試。我們在那里練習了一下，試用水中溝通法，也檢查了裝備。

Once I proved seaworthy, Felipe gave me a quick resort scuba course. We worked out some sign language so I could communicate with him under water: by moving my shoulders or my head, I could let him know I needed help. Then he took me out for a test run just off the beach, where we practiced a bit, tried our underwater signals, and checked the equipment.

“好了，我想你已經(jīng)準備好了。”菲利普說。

"Okay, I think you're ready for the reef." he said.

他穿著蛙鞋，抓著我的腰，和我一起潛到礁巖區(qū)，我看到五彩繽紛、令人目眩神迷的海洋生物。接著菲利普讓我自己去探索礁巖，他則浮在上方，只有在一條大約一公尺半的海鰻從珊瑚礁的縫隙中冒出來時，才出馬救了我一次。我在某個地方讀過這種肉食性鰻魚的牙齒被細菌包裹，很惡心的，所以就跟菲利普打暗號，請他來把我扔到友善一點的海域去，我可不想變成“力克生魚片”。

Felipe gripped me around the waist and, using his fl ippers, swam with me down to the reef surrounded by a dazzling rainbow of marine life. Then he let me go, floating above me while I explored the reef. He had to rescue me only once when a five-foot-long moray eel popped out of a crevice in the coral. I'd read that these carnivorous eels have nasty teeth covered with bacteria, so I signaled Felipe to tow me to a friendlier section of the reef. I didn't want to become Nick sushi.

這次的經(jīng)驗讓我大開眼界。你可能會懷疑我有必要冒這種荒謬可笑的風險嗎?當然有，因為踏出舒適區(qū)會帶來伸展與成長的可能性。你的人生一定也有什么是你想冒險一試的吧?我鼓勵你去做，去試水深，讓生命更上一層樓——即使你想做的事是在水面下。跟海豚一起游泳、與老鷹一起飛翔、爬山、勘探深穴都可以。跟力克一樣可笑吧。

The experience opened my eyes to a whole new world. You may wonder whether it was worth the ridiculous risk. Undoubtedly, yes! Stepping out of your place of comfort opens the possibility for stretching and growing. Surely there is some daring move you've wanted to dive into? I encourage you to do it, test the waters, and take your life to a new level, even if it is under water. Swim with the dolphins. Soar with the eagles. Climb a mountain. Spelunk a cave! Be ridic like Nick!

現(xiàn)在請注意，可笑的冒險跟愚蠢式的冒險是不同的。愚蠢式的冒險是指那種光想就很瘋狂的事，你不該冒那種會讓你失去比得到更多的風險。而可笑的冒險則是指那些看起來很瘋狂，但事實上并沒有那么危險的事，只要：

Now, there is a difference between ridiculous risk and just plain stupid risk. Stupid risks are just that, too crazy to contemplate. You should never take a risk in which you could lose more than you could win. Ridiculous risk, however, is taking a chance that looks or sounds crazier than it really is because:

1.你已作好準備;

1. You've prepared yourself.

2.你已盡量減低風險;

2. You have reduced the risk as much as possible.

3.如果出了差錯，你有備案。

3. You have a backup plan if things go wrong.