This doesn‘t mean you should never try new experiences or new people； it simply means that you can lower the odds by doing your homework. Once you think you have a handle on the upside， downside， and every aspect of an opportunity， you should have the confidence to make a move. Even if you don’t know it all， you should know what you don‘t know—and sometimes that’s good enough.
3. Check the timer.
Often you can greatly improve the odds by waiting for the right time to make your move. You wouldn‘t want to start a new ice cream business in the dead of winter， would you？ My first offer to enter the movie business just wasn’t for me， but a few months later the role was perfect and the timing was right. Sometimes patience can pay off. Don‘t be afraid to sleep on it. Write it down before you go to bed， and then read it again in the morning. It’s amazing how different it can appear when you let it sit overnight. I have done this many times. Always consider your timing and whether there might be a better time before you make a move on the steep edge of opportunity.
4. Get a second opinion.
Sometimes we take bigger chances than we should because we‘re so convinced that we absolutely must do a certain thing right now. If you find yourself rushing into tricky territory， take a couple steps back， call a friend or mentor you trust， and ask for help in assessing the situation， because your emotions may be outrunning your good sense. I go to my uncle Batta here and to my father in Australia. There is wisdom in a council of many. If the stakes are high， you don’t have to be the Lone Ranger.
5. Prepare for the unseen consequences.
There are always， I repeat always， unseen consequences for our actions， especially those that push the envelope. You can never foresee all the repercussions， so you should do your best to consider every angle and then prepare yourself for the unexpected. When I do a business plan， I overestimate costs and underestimate my profit to create a buffer， just in case the business doesn‘t progress as well as I hope it will. If all goes well， it never hurts to have the extra money.
RIDICULOUS FUN
Don’t even pretend that you haven‘t stood waiting for your baggage in an airport and contemplated leaping onto the carousel to ride wherever it takes you in Luggage Land. Of course， being ridiculous， I did it.
We were in Africa on a speaking tour. When we arrived at the airport， I grew bored waiting for our luggage， so I told my caregiver Kyle that I wanted to go on a carousel ride.
He looked at me like Dude， have you gone mad as a cut snake？
But Kyle came through. He hoisted me up and plopped me down next to a nice big Samsonite. Off I went with the rest of the bags and cases. I rode the wild carousel through the terminal， making like a statue， wearing my sunglasses， and drawing shocked stares， pointed fingers， and nervous laughter from the other travelers， who weren’t sure if I was （a） a real person， or （b） the world‘s most handsome duffle.
Finally I rode the carousel up to the little door leading into the backroom loading area， where I was greeted by the African bag men
laughing and smiling at the crazy Aussie on a joy ride.
“God bless you！” they said， cheering me on.
The baggage workers understood that sometimes even grown-ups have to hitch a ride on the carousel. Youth isn’t wasted on children. They enjoy every minute of it. You and I should do whatever we can to keep that youthful joy alive. If your life is too predictable， don‘t go postal. Take a ridiculous ride back to whatever it was that gave you joy as a child. Jump on a trampoline. Saddle up a pony. Give adulthood a rest.
I encourage you to use up every second. Every now and then I cut loose and do something just for fun. I encourage you to live the same way， in vigorous pursuit of all the wonders that God has given us on this earth.
To live ridiculously is to live at the convergence of hope and possibility， embracing God’s purpose and His plan. The second part of the Ridiculous Rules， then， is all about having ridiculous fun， defying expectations， and exceeding limitations. It‘s about enjoying the ride， embracing the blessings， and always pushing not just to live but to enjoy your life to the fullest.
In my speeches， I often stand poised right at the edge of my speaking platform， teetering as if I’m about to take a tumble. I tell my audiences that living on the edge isn‘t such a bad way to go when you have faith in yourself and in your Creator. That’s not just talk. I push myself in every aspect of my life， both work and play. The most ridiculously good feeling comes over me when work and play become one. I encourage you to go for that feeling too.
STUNTMAN
When I accepted my first acting role in The Butterfly Circus， I did not anticipate that I would do my own stunt work. But then， who better to do my stunts than me？ It‘s not like there are a lot of professional stuntmen with no arms and no legs looking for work.
I was game. If my fellow Aussie Russell Crowe can do his own movie dives， why shouldn’t I？ Then again， Russell has never been tossed around like a beach ball by George the Strong Man. The real stuntman and actor Matt Allmen played that burly character in The Butterfly Circus. In one key scene in the film， Matt， playing George， picks me up and throws me into a small pond. Matt was very nervous about that scene. I should have been more nervous myself.
We filmed it in a natural pool in a real creek in the San Gabriel Mountains in California‘s High Desert. The water was cold， but that wasn’t the worst of it. In the scene we filmed， I accidentally fall into the creek‘s pool and everyone fears that I’ve drowned， but I of course pop up， showing off my swimming ability.
George the Strong Man gets so excited that I‘m alive that he picks me up and throws me， nearly drowning me himself.
Matt was afraid he’d hurt me by throwing me too far or too hard. He was a little timid in the first few takes because the water was only about five feet deep. The director， Joshua Weigel， encouraged him to give me a stronger toss， and I came flying out of Matt‘s arms like a torpedo！ Afraid I would smack into the rock bottom， I arched my back， which saved me. This time there was no acting involved when I popped back up out of the water. Everyone on the set was truly joyful when I came up for air， especially Matt.
