The name that I've used for my personal blog, "Leap In The Dark", was chosen for one reason, but as it happens, it's turned out to be much more relevant to my life than I ever could have known. When I chose the name it was because of its connotations for creativity — not being afraid to take risks and not letting fear of failure prevent me from doing something.
That was all very well and good, and has stood me in good stead, reminding me not to be complacent with my writing, to fear looking like a fool, or to worry about what other people thought, and most especially not to worry about change.
I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Tarot, but one of the cards depicts a man, usually dressed sort of like a beggar with a hobo's stick and bundle over one shoulder, his head in the air, not looking at where he's going, and one foot is on the verge of going over a cliff. He's known as The Fool in the more traditional decks and I'm sure there are all sorts of interpretations that are attached to his appearance, but I've always been attracted to the card and taken it as a sort of personal talisman.
He might look like he doesn't know where he's going and is heading for the proverbial fall, and I'm sure more than one person has looked at me with the same thoughts in mind, but to me he has always typified the ultimate in living life in the moment and not fearing for the future. He's not afraid where his foot is going to land, having supreme confidence that whatever he does will be the right thing to do.
That doesn't necessarily mean that what happens is going to be nice or particularly pleasant, but it is what needs to happen. In some ways there's a type of blind optimism that everything will work out for the best. I won't deny that element exists, and that can get a fool in trouble if he isn't careful. But the times they do happen are when he loses track of who he is and tries to be what other people what him to be.
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