Don't Play it Safe (Mario Benedetti)

It's a quote from Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti. He wrote, "Don't stand idle of the side of the road. Don't hold off on happiness. Don't love with a half of heart. Don't play it safe now or never.“ Benedetti was a courageous outspoken writer. Today he is celebrated for his work as a journalist who champions the free press in addition to his poetry and novels. He paid a price for his courage. When his native Uruguay fell under a military dictatorship in 1973, he was forced to live in exile for 12 long years. But still, in these lines from his poem, "Don't Play it Safe', he promises that living your truth fully and unapologetically is worth the risk.

It can seem alluringly easy to do things half way, to hold back, and thus to protect yourself, to play it safe. But when you do, Benedetti reminds us life is half as fulfilling. Every time you shy away from risk, you end up denying yourself reward, whether that reward is love, joy, professional success, or simply the piece of knowing you did the right thing,

So today, follow Benedetti's fearless lead --- don't stand idle of the side of the road. Start walking forward and live your own truth fully, joyfully and unapologetically.