forget safety blue Rumi

Observation: The Illusion of Safety

Kelley Wolf Obsessions & Observations Leave a Comment

forget safety blue Rumi

I am sure you guys have heard me talking about my trip to South Africa in a few days. It is bringing up LOTS of emotions and reflection.
Many of my friends ask me if I am scared to travel so far away? HELL YES!
And guess what? It’s more dangerous to drive to your local market than it is to fly across the globe.

The illusion of safety is a funny one. We get comfortable and believe we have an invisible shield around us. This is something I talk a lot about with my clients. The illusion of safety can manifest itself in our beliefs about financial security, our health… or the dangers of living life in ways that we’ve tricked ourselves into thinking are “on the edge”.
The reality is, living life is ALWAYS an act of courage.

There’s a quote from Mary Oliver that I repeat daily… especially when adventure is knocking on my door:

“Tell me… Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”


The first time I went to Africa was over 20 years ago, and it grabbed a hold of me in ways I have a hard time putting into words. It has continued to hold a place in my heart that is unshakeable.

While It may sound like I have the backbone of Indiana Jones in my adventurous spirit, the reality is I have to challenge myself to FLOW to pursue these adventures. When I was in my late teens, 20’s and into my 30’s many of my close friends would have described me as an adventurer:

  • I spent New Years’ of 1999 on a remote island in the Caribbean with a bag of beans and rice and my very sexy boyfriend (I know, sounds fun, right… except the bean part).
  • When I went to the state fair at 14 all I wanted to do was the bungee jump. I think I went 20 times in a row.

I’ve traveled the world and tried as many courageous things as I could get my hands on. AND, EVERY. SINGLE. time… I was terrified. I’m terrified today. It is different today because what I am terrified of is whether or not my kids will get to school on time, eat a healthy dinner and get hugged when they are scared. Today, I am less afraid of the lions and tigers and bears, but it is still fear either way.

So how do I approach that scary feeling? Why did I move to a foreign country alone at 15? Why do I continue to jump out of airplanes, learn to scuba dive in Africa, walk to Mongolia off the path of the great wall of china? Because… ADVENTURE!!!… and I want my one wild and precious life to count. To open myself up to the lessons that only pushing outside our comfort zones can bring.
I recently heard an interview with the author Julia Alvarez (The Time of the Butterflies and How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents) and she said, “I want every ounce of juice squeezed out of me when I get to the finish line.” I couldn’t agree more. I want to LIVE! I want to feel the fear and do it anyway, that is the definition of courage.

I’ve also found that taking those courageous steps have led to unspeakable fulfillment and have shown me opportunities I never would’ve seen otherwise. One significant example is that my first trip to Africa is what planted the seed to co-found a non-profit called The Chier Foundation. It was some of the most meaningful work I’ve done to date. We completed our mission and closed after 10 years.
I can’t wait to find the opportunity that awaits on the other side of this next adventure. I have a sneaking suspicion it will probably have something to do with you, my FLOW community.

I hope while I’m away you push yourself to do something that scares you. And I hope you’ll tell me all about it.
It may be as simple as ignoring a text… I know… pretty wild. In the process, make sure to OBSERVE. Any time you have fear or worry percolate in your beautiful being, get curious about it. Check on its validity and challenge your own beliefs. Ask yourself what adventure means to you. It may mean eating a meal solo or it may mean trekking through Nepal, either way, stay in touch with it.

While I’m away, I’ll spend most of my time being present, truly LIVING and squeezing every last drop of juice out of me. But don’t worry, I’ll be documenting everything to share with you in an email when I return.

If you’re not subscribed, you can sign up HERE! (and of course… I’ll show you sneak peaks along the way).

I want to share every moment with you in the hopes this will remind YOU of your power to FLOW.

Find Love Over Worry!

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