Walking along a high wire way up in the sky? 👍Thumbs up to a safety net.

Confronting an angry marmot? 🐭Give me some net.

Sometimes having a safety net makes a lot of sense! Other times, not so much.

MAGNETOMETERS

"Magnetometer" is just a fancy name for a metal detector - the kind you see at an airport or at the entrance of a secured building. Those who are extra cool just call it a "mag."

Now I don't know what it is, but whenever I walk through a mag I'll almost always catch security officers👮‍♂️talking to each other about their retirement plans. I'll hear things like:

"Yep, just 12 more years and I'll be eligible to retire!" or

"I'm saving up as much leave as possible so 8 years from now I'll be able to retire 3 months early" or

"I'd like another job except I don't want to give up the benefits that I'll get if I stay another 10 years"

Not exactly carpe diem, is it?

WHEN A SAFETY NET IS JUST A NET

And the idea of a safety net doesn't just call to security officers that keep us safe, its offers a siren song to all of us.

Making bold moves can feel risky when one has a lot to lose.

When everything is fine, playing not to lose (instead of actually putting it all on the line and playing to win🏆) can feel like the safest thing to do.

However, I invite you consider that "fine" is actually the most dangerous place in the world. While "fine" might feel like a safety net, it can actually be just a net 🥅 that holds you in place, that holds you back from being way better than fine. 

As a form of self-preservation, "fine" has a way of exaggerating actual danger. A lot of times, the only thing endangered by bold moves in spite of fine is fine itself, not you. Aren't you meant for more than just fine?

What's the most important net for you to break through in 2024? Eric