I have a friend who has a “Betting it all on Love” tattoo on his arm. He either liked the quote or came up with it on his own. I’m not sure if I’m ready for a tattoo at this point in my life, but if I was in the market, I would have to say that his is a pretty good one. For a few reasons.

When I hear that phrase I feel a sense of defiance. Who talks like that? Only mavericks, maybe. Artists. Mad men. And not defiance against the establishment or “the man.” It’s about going in your own direction in that face of everything that is going on in the world in this very moment. He got it about 15 years ago. It still remains relevant.

To me what he’s saying is, “I don’t care what society tells us. I don’t care how things should be done. It doesn’t matter what the chances are of it working. It’s not important what’s safe. This is something I need to do.” All of it. And more.

He’s choosing NOT to allow fear to keep him from doing what he needs to do. Wants to do. Loves to do. Must do. There are no guarantees. We cannot peak to see the results, know it’s going to work out and then say, “Okay, I’ll give it a shot.” That’s safe. Hollow. That’s not what you want. Not compared to betting it all on Love.

There’s the real treasure. It hits within. It’s a whisper. An inner glow. A flame within that burns just a little brighter. A knowing that says, I told you could do it.

Now, try it again.