I Walk The Line

Would you walk across a tight rope about the width of a penny strung 630 ft. above the ground in Downtown Chicago, the “windy city”? How about blind folded? Nik Wallenda accomplished this very feat just a few days ago. Were any of my Chicago friends there? If you were in Chicago and had the chance would you have gone to watch? In an age and culture where the only things we watch live anymore are sporting events or concerts and plays, what an opportunity! 

Then I got to thinking, what an incredible event to witness! There are no nets, no safety measures, nothing like that. Only his passion and countless hours of practicing along with a family legacy passed down through 7 generations. In fact, Nik’s great-grandfather died trying to cross a wire between two towers in Puerto Rico on a windy day thirty six years ago. I love that they kept following their craft. Despite even experiencing loss at the hand of the very thing they love, they still chose to cross the wire. 

At least 65,000 people came out to watch. When he began to cross, everyone was cheering like Rome in the coliseum. Nik is very open about his faith. He prays the entire time he is walking the line. When asked if his faith is what gets him across the line, I love his response. Nik said, “The only thing faith assures me is where I’m going if I were to fall off that wire,” he continued “I don’t believe in any way that my faith holds me on that wire, or gets me across that wire.” Nik told the reporters, “I believe that God provides a peace that passes all understanding. And that’s why I can stay calm and cool leading up to these walks. But my faith plays a role in all aspects of my life, not just on the wire.”

You see, Nik still has to believe in himself. He still has to muster up the courage it takes anytime we decide to live from our hearts and follow our passion. It takes fight to be able to look others in the eye that question why we don’t just deal with what’s right in front of us instead of pursuing our big picture goals. It takes self motivation to keep pounding the rock even when we can’t see a dent in it yet. It takes will to continue moving forward even when things seem out of reach.

For me, this is a very personal platform. It is so important. 65,000 people didn’t come out to see if Nik would make it or not. They came out to witness something incredible, something audacious, something only a small percentage of people would do. But, they came because his extreme story inspires them somehow. It encourages them to take the next step on their “wire”. For most of us, it isn’t a matter of life or death…physically anyway. It is a matter of life or death as to whether we truly “live” or not. What will your legacy be? The reality is we all have an expiration date, what is it that you’ve spent your time here doing? Will your story live on long after you have passed? 

There are so many cultures that pass down stories and legacies from generation to generation. There’s an old Native American belief that a person isn’t considered truly dead until the last person who knew a story about them dies as well. Does your life speak to others? Do you pursue your heart with a reckless abandon like Nik? Will your story live on long after you do?