***Taking Risks

Taking RisksnnHe Who Is Not Courageous Enough To Take Risks Will Accomplish Nothingn(Muhammad Ali)nnAre You Afraid To Take Chances In my business and personal life, I've observed many incidences when clients, friends and acquaintances were afraid to take chances. They frequently wanted to play it safe and be conservative. I believe that we miss out on a lot of life if we fail to take risks. Not only do we miss out on potential opportunities, but later in life we end up having regrets because we failed to act on potential opportunities that had previously come our way during our lifetime.nnThe Need To Take Risks Applies To Every Aspect Of Your Life The principles outlined in this article apply not only to your business life and your career, but also to your relationships and personal life. For example, I am taking a chance by writing my articles on:n SelfGrowth.com and on my blog, located at StanleyBronstein.com.nnSuccess Is Not Guaranteed, It Must Be Earned I have devoted a large amount of my time over the past few years for an endeavor where success is definitely not guaranteed. Notwithstanding, I am happy I have done it. It is one of my life's goals to help others and I would no doubt experience regret later in life had I been afraid to take this chance. The potential rewards more than justify the time and effort expended.nnIn other words, this is an intelligent risk that is consistent with my life's goals, so it is a risk well worth taking.nnAn Example Of Other Chances I Have Taken In My Life I have taken many chances in my life. Among these is one of my early-30's dating experiences. I was debating whether or not to ask out a beautiful woman who was a member of a dating service I had recently joined. At the time, I decided to take a chance, as I figured the worst she could do was say no. I wound up dating that woman and had a very interesting relationship. During one of our dates, I told her I had initially been afraid to ask her out. I told her I was thinking she was "out of my league" but that I decided to ask her anyway because, deep down I believed no woman was out of my league. Her response was two words: "Good move". I believe that says it all.nnWhat's Your Next Step? I want you to take 3 to 5 minutes and make a list of 5 to 10 "Successes You've Had Because You Took A Chance". Next take 3 to 5 more minutes and make a list of "Opportunities You Missed Because You Did Not Take A Chance". These might also include opportunities you missed because you didn't act upon them fast enough. Write down as many examples on these 2 lists as you can remember. Lastly, I'd like for you to study these lists and ask yourself what you can learn from them.