Inspiration

Does taking risks pay off, or are you too scared to try?

“If you are not prepared to take risks, make mistakes, feel your fear and take a bold step forward anyway…you’ll never come up with anything original.” — Leena Patel.

What’s the worst thing that can happen? When I am about to do something that others consider crazy, outside of the box, and maybe wacky, this is often my question.

It won’t work out, or I will realize I hate it. I have done so many things that I hated and never did them again. My parents instilled an adventurous attitude inside me at a very young age. Most likely by my father; he had a try everything once type of attitude, except I think he was a bit riskier than I was.

I remember as a kid seeing him and his buddies playing Russian roulette. Because what’s the worst that can happen, I mean a lot, but in the end, that happened anyway, right?

When I look back at my childhood, I think that I would have never been born if my parents always played by the rules. They both took significant risks that their families would never speak to them again once they left home.

They took risks by living the life that they wanted.

So for me, why would I not live the life that I want to live?

I was raised to go out and enjoy life, not to fear life. Even when I decided to choose the more traditional path, I knew that if I hated it, I could get off the hamster wheel, which I ended up doing. Yet I had a degree.

So even though I take risks, I always gain something from them. I will always lean on the side of risk vs. security. If it is too stable and holds me down, I will not do it; in the past, I did, but that did not make me happy.

Why would I continue doing something that does not make me happy?

My parents wanted us to be able to make our own decisions; they did not want us to go with the grain just because everyone else was doing it. They wanted us to think independently and make our own choices and decisions.

The beauty of life is finding the balance without staying stuck on one side.

Living here in Colombia and deciding to spend a year here was a risk. Would I run out of money, would I not like it, what if I get bored. This has not happened.

My worries were useless, yet still there. I am never bored; I have been so busy lately that I have to force myself to chill out! When my head hits the pillow, I am out.

I am not partying; I am not drinking. I have no idea how I had time to do that in the past.

So I wonder what are you thinking about doing but letting fear hold you back?

Ask yourself what the worst can happen, and I would do it anyway. That is me, though; you do what is best for you.

Yet remember, no risk, no reward.

XOXO

S