Living without a net

I was watching the Golf Channel the other night and their resident psychologist took a question from a viewer. The viewer wanted to know if, since he had lowered his handicap from 18 to 8 in a year, he was justified in wanting to turn pro. My first instinct was to wonder, "Are you NUTS? At least get to scratch and play some competitive golf and see if you like it." The psychologist decided he had no right to tell anyone what to do with their life--which is true--but for the would-be pro to be cautious.
I then went on to consider my own life, and the risks I've taken on as a would-be pro writer in Los Angeles. I guess I could also apply the "Are you NUTS" comment to my own life. I'm probably about an 8 handicap writer--better than 99 percent of the public, but still with lower handicap writers ahead of me, and a few more hard-knock lessons to learn. I think Ray Bradbury said it best:
If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.

I guess that means if you're an 8 handicap golfer or writer, it's time to jump.