According to the Dalai Lama, "A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one's everyday existence."

I am a marathon swimmer who loves water below 50 degrees.  My wife is a 3rd year PhD student embarking on a new career path in her 40's.  Most of our friends have done more sprint and Ironman distance triathlons than I can count.  I can pick up my phone and dial people who have stood on top of Everest, run across deserts and been to some of the deepest places on earth.

Yep, avoiding extremes is not really happening for me.

My life has been and will always be shaped by what I have learned pursuing experiences that appear extreme.  The irony lies in the fact that I have never succeeded or excelled in any endeavor if I did not enter the water or toe the starting line feeling balanced, centered, focused and connected to those people and feelings that have always given my life meaning.