Word #21. Trapeze.

The trapeze artist can let go and fly because there’s a safety net.

We, too, need a safety net.

Research shows that toddlers who are able to let go of their parents’ hands and run off to play when entering a new playground are those with the strongest attachment to their parents.

This attachment is their safety net.

The need for a net only grows as we get older.

It’s scary to leave our comfort zones – especially when we’re set in our ways with patterns of behavior deeply entrenched.

Having a safety net of stable relationships means we’re more likely to let go, give adventure a whirl – or even just be willing to make a mistake, forgive an old hurt or learn something new.

The good news is it doesn’t take a whole army of friends to give yourself stable grounding:

“Who are the individuals in your life who will always be there for you? No need to keep growing your Facebook friend list. Research shows that five close relationships are usually enough.” (from Surprise – Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected by Tania Luna and Lee Ann Renninger, PhD.)