Diving in Head-first

How trust in others helps overcome analysis paralysis.

I don’t tend to put a lot of personal stock in dreams. Probably because most of mine are related to video games or fantasy games in some way, instead of being anything deeply meaningful.

but recently, I woke up in the middle of a dream and thought something along the lines of, “Huh. That’s kind of profound.”

The Dream

My dream seemed pretty basic at first.

I was on a high dive platform at a swimming pool, getting ready to leap off and plunge into the water below. For some reason, I was still wearing my glasses and carrying my white cane even while I was standing atop the platform.

Which is weird, as a side note, because I haven’t regularly worn glasses in at least seven years. I simply don’t have need for them anymore.

I must have realized this was strange, because I took off my glasses and I handed them down to my wife, who was standing below, along with my cane. Then I walked back to the edge of the platform.

As I looked down below at the pool, I said aloud (to whom? I have no idea) that I had never dived head-first from a high dive before. Which is true. I think the only time I’ve ever leapt from a high dive into a swimming pool (orlake) was feet-first. The only time I’ve jumped in head-first is from a low dive.

Not that I’ve done this much at all in my life. I’m not even a regular swimmer at all. I don’t think I’ve been diving from any height in over 20 years.

But there I was, at any rate. Ready to dive into the pool.

So I jumped. Head-first.

I let out a hoot and a holler of excitement as I plunged downward toward the water.

Then, of course, I woke up. Before I hit the water. Before I found out whether I landed with a safe splash or a horrible accident.

What’s so profound about that?

The idiom "to dive in head-first" means to commit to something immediately and wholeheartedly, often without much preparation or consideration of the risks.

Sometimes it means making a brash decision, but other times it means to just make a decision and go with it even if you aren’t certain of the outcome. The fact that I woke up before learning the outcome of my dive is what made this feel particularly profound to me.

I’m not typically known for making brash decisions. As an analytical thinker, I tend to look at as many possibilities as I can before I decide to do something.

In the past, this had led to serious analysis paralysis. Like, to the point where my wife would get annoyed that I couldn’t simply choose what to eat from a simple restaurant menu. I’ve gotten better about that.

But when it comes to big decisions, I still don’t often settle into one without considering as many facts or possibilities as I can. I like having a bit of that control over my destiny.

So part of the dream represents diving into a new situation without knowing the outcome.

The other part of the dream had to do with me being excited by the plunge. I wasn’t fearful or nervous. I was genuinely excited.

But I was also practical. I took preparations. I removed my glasses and cane and handed them to someone I trust.

Then I stepped up and dove from the edge. Into the unknown. [Insert music from Frozen 2.]

Putting it all together (since I realize I went backward there):

· I walked onto the diving platform.

I took stock of the situation. I realized I was still wearing glasses and holding onto my cane.

· I took practical steps to solve that immediate problem.

· I involved someone I trust.

· Then I walked up to the edge, acknowledged that this was something I had never done before, and jumped.

· I was excited, not nervous or fearful.

· I don’t know what happened after I jumped. The outcome remains unknown.

How this is applicable

It would be easy to think of this as a prophetic dream. I’m not so certain. I sppose it could be.

But it could also just represent my life right now. I’m constantly in a state of flux as my wife and I look for full-time work or we gain consistent consulting income. I’ve found that, lately, I’m making a lot of decisions without having any way of knowing the outcome.

So it’s also possible that this dream is a reminder that I shouldn’t be afraid to make difficult choices without knowing all the possible outcomes. That I should take life as it comes. I can take steps to prepare, but don’t need to overanalyze.

Or, perhaps, it’s a reminder to myself that I should be on the look-out for difficult decisions and remember to not over-think them. Especially since I know I have people I can trust and count on.

Only time will tell whether this dream is reflective of things I’ve done, or if it’s looking forward at things to come. Either way, I’m aware now that if I’m presenting with a big choice and I can’t analyze it fully, I should rely on the people I trust to help me make a decision and just go with it.

At a minimum, I count on this experience to help me overcome analysis paralysis.

You can, too

My biggest take away isn’t that I should make every decision without knowing what’s going to happen to me. It’s that I can count on people I trust to be there with me and to support me.

You can, too. The next time you’re struggling, or nervous, or have a big decision to make, you can look to trusted friends or loved ones to help support you. You don’t have to take on life by yourself.

So whether you’re dealing with imposter syndrome, taking a huge little step, or looking for personal growth, remember that you don’t need to know what the future has in store for you. You just need to know who’s on your team.

What are your thoughts?

Have you ever analyzed a dream and come to a conclusion you hadn’t expected? Or dove into something head-first with excitement instead of trepidation?

Let us know in the comments. Then remember to subscribe for future thoughts on how to achieve Growth for ALL.