I came across these amazing photos of my son Viggo the other day. They were taken just after his second birthday. We had a summer routine where I'd swim to the bottom of a local pool with my camera and wait for him to jump in after me. Viggo would literally come running and throw himself into the pool even though he didn't know how to swim.

Viggo loved the water back then, and trusted I'd let no harm come to him (he was right of course). But now that he's older, I've noticed he approaches water with much greater caution.

We naturally become more fearful as we get older. Our brain has registered past close calls and uses that information to keep us alive! Gone unchecked, however, fear can stifle our behavior and compromise our experience.

I often ask myself, how much am I limiting my present experience because of fears I've acquired over time? What people or situations do I avoid? What am I afraid will happen?

We all have different things that shut us down. For some of us they're physical like fear of heights or drowning. The most debilitating (and sneaky) ones, however, are emotional. Especially fears associated with getting approval and acceptance from others. Whether in the workplace or at home, we often censor ourselves because we're afraid of what others might think or say about us. We don't assert ourselves ("being nice") or express ourselves honestly ("being polite"). The price we pay for giving in to these fears is reduced quality and depth of our connections.

These photos of Viggo are a reminder to myself to keep expressing myself honestly and authentically. Never stop taking risks. Trust those you love and literally jump into the deep end of life along with them. Otherwise you might never learn to swim.

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Come on in. The Water's fine.