The Greatest Risk in Life

The Greatest Risk in life is to risk nothing
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out to others is to risk getting involved
To show your feelings is to risk exposing yourself
To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd
is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To hope is to risk pain
To try is to risk failure
But risk must be taken, it absolutely must be taken.
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing, learns nothing,
develops nothing and gains nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they simply cannot
learn, feel, change, grow, live or love.
Chained by their certitudes and inertia, they are slaves,
and have forfeited their freedom.
ONLY THE PERSON WHO RISKS IS FREE

Running your own business, working for yourself, stepping out of the comfort of a secure job…. all of these things take courage. We can stay stuck in our comfortable lives and never move beyond them. Or, we can risk giving things a go and getting out there amongst people. We can try to achieve our heart’s desires. We can take a risk.

What harm can really come to us when we do these things? Nothing really. Like the verses above say, the greatest risk of all is to risk nothing.  Do you really want that for yourself? Do you really want to set that example for your kids? Someone who couldn’t move forward because they were too scared to take the risk?  Be brave and step out. Find courage and do the thing that scares you most. Only then will you grow from having done so.