When was the last time you did something ridiculous?

By ridiculous I mean doing something daring that put you out of your comfort zone.

I spent some time reflecting on three areas where I was daring last year. One of the daring things I did was travel to the Rockies on vacation and hike the mountains. The view was amazing. It was daring for me because I have a fear of heights. I also looked into a promotion within my work that requires an increase in responsibility. It was daring because I would’ve taken on more leadership. And most of all was dating my girlfriend. I wasn’t sure if the relationship would work out but I went for it (we’re now friends).

These things were ridiculous. They brought me out of my comfort zone, I had a possibility for failure, and they were big things.

Just a month ago I had a priest friend who was sharing with me a very good message that hit hard. It also relates to the daring, to being bold, to growing the virtue of courage.

He said, ‘Do the ridiculous so God can do the miraculous.’

Every day, I try and do one thing I do not like doing. It often involves putting myself out of my comfort zone. It usually requires a conscious act of the will and also a practice of great humility.

What if we listened to that voice inside of us, urging us do to that very ridiculous thing?

Here’s a thought. What are three daring things I have done in the past year? Then, what would be three daring things I could do this year? This week, even?

As I reflect on my own experience with doing ridiculous things, I would like to provide three reflections that can help us to build this kind of character.

Being ridiculous isn’t synonymous with being stupid.

Ridiculous things are to be done with prudence. That is, I think it shouldn’t compromise our own well-being or that of others. For example, it would be ridiculous for me to go hiking in the Rocky mountains with a good friend. It would be stupid if I didn’t plan the trip or the hike properly so that we were safe.

Have the freedom to laugh at yourself.

This is a good test of humility. Can I laugh at myself for doing this ridiculous thing when it fails? I think about the last time I failed at something and then laughed it off. I have a vivid memory of my brother skating. He is not bad at skating and recently came to visit me in Montreal for the Christmas holidays. As we went to the rink for the first time in a while, he was trying to transition from skating forward to turning around and then going backwards. I admired him for his effort, even if he fell flat on his butt. You know what though? He had a big smile, laughed it off, and continued skating around.

Try to do one ridiculous thing a week.

I think it’s a habit, to do the ridiculous. Why not put it into practice? It could be simple things like greeting a stranger and striking up a conversation. It could be giving our talents to someone else for their enjoyment. It could be making a new meal. Basically, I see it as being something that pushes us outside of our comfort level as we try to do something great.

Great things come when we go outside our comfort zone. And a great way to get ourselves out of our comfort zone is to try and do something ridiculous.