Try something new

For as long as I can remember, I disliked water. I loved the mountains and felt that water just wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy swimming or diving. Worse yet, I was afraid of objects floating in the water—like buoys or boats—especially in the open sea where I couldn’t see the bottom. If someone had told me that I’d one day enjoy freediving, I would have laughed in their face.

But I had a passion for photography. The idea of adding underwater photography to my land and aerial skills seemed exciting—except for one thing: I didn’t like water! Still, I decided to give it a shot and see how it would go. I didn’t expect much; I just wanted to feel more comfortable in the water. I chose freediving because it teaches you to be calm and stay in and under the water for extended periods. It sounded perfect for my needs.

On my very first session, I jumped off the boat and realized I was in open water. I couldn’t see the bottom, and there were several buoys and a boat nearby. It sounded like my worst nightmare, right? I started to panic. But then I told myself, “Try it, dude! You’re here to give it a shot. You wanted this, so just calm down and try.” And so I did. I lay flat on the water and looked down. What I saw was the universe itself—a vast blue space filled with a myriad of tiny stars. It was plankton, but it looked like stars! In that moment, all my fears vanished.

Just a few days later, I was able to stay in the water for hours. I could dive and swim underwater on a single breath. The underwater world felt like outer space, and I felt like I was flying through it. It’s hard to put into words because it’s an indescribable feeling.

And to think I had missed out on this experience for decades, simply because I believed water wasn’t for me and I never even tried.

You might say, “Lucky you—you tried it and liked it. But what if you didn’t?” That’s true; it could have gone differently. But at least I gave it a chance. It’s like flipping a coin—you have a 50/50 chance. When you try something new, there’s always a possibility of failure—sometimes a significant one. But if you don’t try at all, you miss every opportunity to succeed. Every single one.

So go ahead—try something new. Try it today. Whether it’s something small or something big, think about your dreams and take that first step to make them happen.