Charles Bukowski’s poem Roll the Dice tells of the freedom that comes from putting yourself on the line, and holding a line.
Go all the way he says, go into that unknown where the footing is questionable, understanding the commitment to not settle for something less than what sets you free is worth the risk, because we all know what lies down that path of business as usual, and it’s a boring life, full of boring people, doing boring things for decades. And this is said to be the pragmatic route to avoiding unnecessary pain, and that might be true.
But the melancholy of a life lived without courage is a life wasted in what could-have-beens if that extra step would have only been taken. And one never knows what could have been unless they try, but I’d offer one precaution before deciding to go all the way, a Bob Dylan quote best summarizes this word of warning “But I’ll know my song well before I start singing” – Go all the way, but know your song is worth singing before letting those dice roll.
