I don't surf, but a friend once told me something about surfing that changed how I think about life. "Paddle out. Even if it looks bad." I'm in my mid-30s now, and I've spent way too many years making excuses not to pursue my passions — especially driving. We're not going to live forever, and if we don't do the things that bring us joy even when the opportunity is right there, we're bound to die even sooner.

Worry felt productive until it’s all I knew. I carried it like a tool thinking it’d be helpful. It ended up weighing me down. Emotional numbness worked the same way. It protected me until it stole the joy too. I didn’t notice it at first. Then one day I did (with some help), and now I can’t unsee it.