One of my favorite movies, is We Bought a Zoo starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. The movie is about a single father, who lives with his two children (seven and fourteen), decides to buy and run a zoo, and starts a new relationship with a woman.

I like the movie not only because its heart-warning plot and the great performance of Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, but more for the hopeful message it delivers: take chances and gamble your life on twenty seconds of insane courage. As the quote by Benjamin (Matt Damon):

You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

I don't really remember how many significant moments have passed me by just because I did't have the nerve to do what was needed to be done. And I believe I'm not alone. But apparently, Benjamin is not one of us.

In the ending scene of the movie, Benjamin finally brought his children to where he met their mother (who passed away), and told them how they met.

It was a sunny afternoon, Benjamin was walking by a coffee shop, and through the window he saw an amazing woman sitting there and reading quietly. To him, that woman was so attractive that he couldn't move or even breathe. He wanted to talk to her, but was afraid of failure. He started to hesitate, like a teenager who is too shy and nervous to go to his dream girl. This is what he said to his kids:

Oh my god! This is the most beautiful woman I have seen in my entire life.
But I never talk to a total stranger before.
But she was right there. So I thought to myself: twenty seconds, right?
Now I am going to the restaurant, but I am terrified, and thinking about leaving.
But I can actually touch her. She is right there.
She still hasn't seen me.
But I still have fifteen seconds of courage left. And I am going for it.

So eventually he worked up his nerve to talk to the woman:

Excuse me. Why would an amazing woman like you even talk to someone like me?

She smiled and said:

Why not?

That's where the story all began.

When I was younger, I always thought I would have a second chance for anything. Now I become older, I found, surprisingly, that a chance in front of me, whatever it is, is probably the one in a lifetime. There is simply no second chance. Therefore, when it comes to me, I wouldn't hesitate to have this twenty seconds of insane courage and make it a course of action, not for a second.

At the end of the day, people who have the courage and take actions are the ones who don't regret.

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1. liprais @ 2013-10-30 16:48:11 +0800:

   但行好事，莫问前程

2. Claire Fang Wong @ 2013-10-31 15:01:33 +0800:

   人生没有那么多时间让我们考虑那么多后果，没有所谓的好结果坏结果，只是看我们怎样选择和应对。

3. Felix @ 2013-10-31 17:09:12 +0800:

   @Claire

   风筝！

4. jelly liu @ 2013-12-02 10:12:02 +0800:

   like your essay.
   through your blog, it give me some tips, and more brave to lean.
   keep then got it.

5. leslie @ 2013-12-17 19:20:25 +0800:

   GOOD!i thinks it is a inspiring story , and to search for it later. thank you~