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Ron & Val Taylor

It isn’t often that you hear a lecture that makes your hair stand on end.

Last night I saw Ron and Val Taylor (the famous shark divers who have been diving for 50 years!) speak at an intimate lecture at the Australian Museum. I knew a bit about them but listening to them speak was incredible – Val particularly, I think she is one of the strongest, most impressive women I have ever met.

A bit about them:

Ron Taylor (born March 1934) and Valerie Taylor (born in Sydney 9th November 1936)[1] are prominent Australian shark and underwater experts. Their expertise has been called upon for films such as Jaws, Orca and Sky Pirates.

Ron began diving in 1952, becoming interested in spearfishing and underwater photography. Valerie started diving in 1956 and spearfishing in 1960, eventually winning several Australian championships for ladies in both spearfishing and scuba. They met while both members of St George spearfishing club in Sydney, Australia. They became champion spearfishers, however decided to switch from killing to filming them after becoming fascinated with marine life. Conservation did not begin to be an active movement until the late 1960s.

They married in December 1963 and have no children. They made their living in the 1960s by touring briefly with underwater footage they had filmed. The Taylors are credited with being pioneers in several areas – the first people to film a great white shark without the protection of a cage and the first to film sharks by night to name two. They are also credited with correcting the belief that sharks need to move forward to survive by obtaining footage of sharks sleeping on the sea-bed.

Valerie is also an accomplished watercolour artist. Her career began as a comic strip artist with The Silver Jacket, an Australian adventure magazine for boys.

Ron and Valerie are both Members of the Order of Australia, awarded by the Australian government.

50 years after they first ventured underwater, Ron and Valerie Taylor are still active, spending months each year on expeditions to remote corners of the earth to be with the sharks they have learned so much about.

There is an undeniable romance in the quest to find the perfect adventure

Life as we know it.

We grow up, we go to school, we do well in school so we can get into a great university, we do well in university so we can go on to grad school or get an amazing career working 14 hours days at invest banks or being somebody’s bitch in an office.  With this sort of path to follow no wonder the majority of graduates are confused and scared half to death.

Once the infamous walk takes place and the hat gets thrown into the air, the dreams and fantasies that once drove us begin to imprison us.  Is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life? Fears of the first job being the eternal job take over, and suddenly you find yourself in a fear-driven stupor of paralysis.

Ok, so maybe it isn’t that bad.  Maybe you just sit home and wonder what to do with your communications degree, or wonder if the years you invested in studying Engineering (while the rest of your friends enjoyed adventurous nights out) will ever pay off.

I’d like to propose a different idea and break this faux pas of our lives being determined from the first accepted resume – growing up is all about testing the waters.  I wanted to create this blog to be a resource to anybody that is soul searching or feeling iffy about their place in the world, because hey, we all have those days, months, even years.

Taking Risks

I was reading Tim Ferriss’s blog this morning and he included a photo of his work space, on the desk was a tablet with the quote, “do one thing everyday that scares you…”

I have heard this quote so many times but for some reason when I read it today it meant that much more to me.  It got me thinking that the majority of us know that there is no sure thing in life, and yes to get what you want, what you REALLY want you have to take massive risks, but what is the barrier that stops us from doing so?

I am not talking about the risk and fear associated with physical activities – given a parachute and a plane to jump out I reckon most people would take the plunge, but the fear associated with making massive life changes, or the initial tiny decisions that lead to a massive life change – now that is a whole different story!

Nearly a year ago I took my biggest risk  - I quit my job, left life as I knew it in NYC and moved to a country halfway across the world, I assumed I would find a way to make money, I assumed I would find a visa that allowed me to stay, and I assumed I would be fine moving in with a guy who I had spent more time without than with.

And you know what? I am fine – more then fine, I am amazing.  But somewhere in the midst of this amazing and easygoing life in Sydney I think I have stopped consciously seeking out risks.

Realizing where the problem lies is half the battle : ) so today I start to take more risks.