Taking Risks: The Courage to Move Forward

How many times have you held back on doing something because you thought it was too risky? For many of us, taking risks implies that we have something to lose. We tend to shy away from such actions because we are afraid of loss.

The truth is we cannot expect our lives to progress unless we take our chances. Taking risks is not an act of recklessness. It is the courage to move forward.

Change your Perspective

Think about the first time you learned how to ride a bike. Were you more excited or apprehensive? Chances are you hopped right on and pedaled away until you could finally hold the bike straight. Falling down didn’t deter you even when it meant possible pain and blood-letting.

Courage is nothing more than a matter of perception. People who enjoy taking risks focus on what they stand to gain rather than what they stand to lose. When you learned how to ride a bike, you didn’t think about how the act would leave you physically vulnerable for a while; you just thought about how cool it would be to learn how to ride.

Consider the Consequences

What is the worst thing that could happen if you took a risk at something, and could you live with these consequences? List down every possible outcome you could imagine. Do the gains outweigh the losses? In your pursuit for a more successful life, how big are the risks you are willing to take? Is it possible to break them down into smaller risks so you won’t have to be too overwhelmed when taking them on?

Now consider the consequences of not taking any risks for the sake of comfort and convenience. What do you stand to lose then? Will you be willing to live with that? For many of us, the answer would have to be no.

Tagged as: courage, Decision, Determination, Inspiration, principles, Taking Risks