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I was about 7 years old and had never swam before as my mum was terrified of pools and lakes, and would never let me swim. Our friend had a pool and I decided it was about time I swam in one. Without my mum knowing I went over to her house to use it. My friends mum looked at me and said, "Do you know how to swim?" "Of course," I lied, "I'm 7." "Ok then," she replied," Just be careful." and off to the pool I went, alone.

Not knowing what to do, I figured the best way was to just dive in. So into the deep end of the pool I jumped and almost immediately after hitting water, I started to drown.

The strangest thing was, it was in complete and utter slow motion and I remember seeing the bubbles form around me as my arms flung around in panic. Then everything seemed to stop and I thought in crystal clear terms, if I don't do something, if I don't try to swim, I'm going to die.

I started to move my arms and legs together, and I started to swim to the surface. Once I did surface, I started to gasp for air and swam to the ledge of the pool then I climbed out. I felt so proud. I had learned to swim. I rested for awhile, gathering breath and strength, the jumped back in to practice my new found talent. This time, however, I went in the shallow end.

"That sums up your life pretty well," Chris said to me after I told him my swimming story. "Just diving in and doing whatever it takes to survive."

"I suppose so," I said back, not really thinking that what I had done was anything much, in fact, I thought it was perhaps a little bit stupid. But then I thought about it for a minute and said to him "I guess even then I had the belief that I can get through anything if I just try it - even if it scares the bejesus out of me, or even if it's the hardest thing in the world. I never think failure is possible. I know that sounds really Little House on the Prarie'ish, but that's just how I see it."

I've done a lot of things just because I had the urge to, and I've failed a lot or looked like a complete ass on more than one occasion. But at least I can say I've tried this or that and here I am to prove it. And to have that kind of freedom to try makes a few minutes of fear, panic or stress worth it. Beause living in fear is not living, is it?