Without risk, there is no reward. There is only buckling in to the forces inside and outside of us.
Many examples of healthy, responsible risk-taking exist. Investing money for return on investment, dating, expressing one’s feelings, submitting creative works for publication, going up for a promotion. Confronting corruption and injustice, changing the status quo and being authentic also take risks.
Risk instills fear — of rejection, of failure, of loss, of negative consequences. Many people focus on the loss instead of the potential gain, and we call them risk-averse. Avoiding risk has its cost — lost opportunity, lack of progress, and a dearth of fulfillment.
Choosing risk for its potential rewards may require changing one’s mindset with one or more of the following:
- Examining the fear against the potential return
- Believing that one will survive the worst case scenarios
- Feeling the fear and taking the risk anyway
Words Like Me 