I have a younger brother who loves car drag racing like crazy. He customises his car like the drag racers do. He watches every drag racing video he can find and goes to all the events he can. Peter, I never told you this, but I thought you were crazy in the beginning; I still love you.

I also have a friend whom you cannot tell anything about big bikes. He goes crazy hearing the sound of the big bike from afar. He spends most of his money on taking care of his bike. He goes camping and on tour with other bikers. Now I am that friend; I have that big bike.

I also had a neighbour who is a fisherman; he has been fishing in the ocean for the last 30 years. He goes to the deepest parts of the ocean and uses hooks or sometimes nets. But he says his younger brother does scuba diving, which, to him, is crazy.

Now, to me, all are as crazy as crazy can be. I don’t understand why someone would risk their lives in car drag racing. It is even crazier to ride a big bike at high speed with nothing else to protect you in case of a fall. 

I know all the mysteries of the ocean, so someone going in the middle of the ocean at night to fish is crazy. Now adding that someone dives deep in the dark ocean on the dark night to fish is even crazier.

You might find one or two of the things I mentioned above risky, based on your experience and risk level. Or you might be among the daredevils where all those are not risky at all.

I shared my skydiving experience in Zanzibar with my younger brother, a friend, and my fisherman neighbour. And they all considered what I did more crazy than everything they have done. Let me tell you too.

Skydiving starts at least 17,000 feet in the air. That’s roughly the height of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain globally. Then you are going to jump from that plane with a parachute and hope to land somewhere you have planned.

So first, the very small planes that take people into the sky help pilots control the flight and save costs. The plane has no door, so you can see everything around you. You get a clear view from the climbing section to the jumping section.

When you jump, you start with free falling. This means your parachute stays closed for a few seconds. Beginners usually wait a bit, while professionals hold off longer. It was my first time doing it, so a few minutes of free diving were like an eternity.

After free jumping, you open the parachute. Enjoy the view for as long as you like. Navigate the parachute to ensure a safe landing.

With so many moving pieces, anything could go wrong, and you’re likely to die in most situations. But for me, I was feeling so excited and comfortable.

Likely you have imagined yourself in those conditions and you also felt like “I was so crazy to do that.” I might agree on that, but that was a year ago. Now my instructor, who works in Zanzibar full-time, does it four times a day, almost every day for the next two months. Isn’t that crazier?

When I asked him how he manages to do that four times a day almost every day, he laughed and said it is not that crazy. His girlfriend has already done it more than three hundred and forty (340) times in her entire career. Now that is absurd.

This shows that what seems crazy and risky to you might not feel the same for others. And in the same case, what other people see as crazy in you might be the last thing you worry about.

Your role in life is to know your definition of crazy and live it. 

If that business venture seems crazy to others and you are comfortable, keep it up. 

If your career seems risky to others, but you feel you can do it, keep on climbing.

If your relationship feels wild to everyone but you and your partner, that’s fine. Keep nurturing that love.

If your dreams look crazy to even kids, don’t worry; keep on dreaming. Crazy is subjective and will always be.

Never let someone’s definition of crazy stop you. It’s not crazy; it’s different.

#iThinkSo

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you be free from suffering.

May you find peace and joy.

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Rogers Katuma

Chieftain and Financial Artist

Mphami Estate.