The Value of Taking Risks

We are now at the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century--so far, so good.

In this blog, I want to ruminate on risk taking. From our earliest years, most of us in this country are Programmed to avoid risk taking. Most Mothers consider it one of their primary duties--to keep us safe. This does not stop children from risky behavior, but to do their best to not let their parents know about any of it. None-the-less, for most, the message/programming is clear--don't take risks!

For many in this world, however, just being alive is very risky. As a result, those people are much more aware and alert, all the time, than the average person in this country.

For many of us in this country, because we believe we are basically safe, we feel comfortable to be walking around asleep most of the time. Every day going through our habitual/Programmed lives.

As a result, we do not think about how we avoid taking risks every day, just by not being spontaneous, or exposing our feelings in any way to other people.

I offer the following as something to think about as we enter the New Year. (It has been going the rounds on the Internet, again, but is well worth repeating.)

RISK

To laugh, is to risk playing the fool.
To weep, is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another, is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings, is to risk exposing our true selves.
To put your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk loss.
To love, is to risk not being loved in return.
To live, is to risk dying.
To hope, is to risk despair.
To try at all, is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they simply cannot learn, change, feel, grow, love, live...
Chained by their attitudes, they are slaves.

ONLY THE PERSON WHO RISKS IS FREE.
(Author Unknown)

And, so I end this short blog.

Shirley Gallup