Life... it's worth the risk!

* To laugh is to risk appearing the fool;
* To weep is to risk appearing sentimental;
* To reach out for another is to risk involvement;
* To expose feelings is to risk exposing true self;
* To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their 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 is to risk failure;
* But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing;
* The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing;
* He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love and live;
* Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave and has forfeited freedom'
* Only a person who risks is free.” Livestrong

Doesn’t that just hit you in the gut? It’s so true. In Las Vegas, they calculate risk and pay odds on it; the bigger the risk, the bigger the payoff. They’re betting that you won’t win and that’s usually the case… in Las Vegas.

Not so much in the real world. In the real world when we take risks, we usually win. Life isn’t a casino. When you take a risk in life, even when you lose, you still win because you take something good from it.

Think about it. How do you improve your skill at anything? Practice, practice and more practice, right?

Isn’t that just another way of failing and taking a risk? Think of a baby and the first time they take a step. They’re not very good at walking, but they keep trying. Imagine if all babies said, “Well, can’t do it. I might as well give up.”

I know it’s laughable, but it proves that we are taught to quit. It’s not in our nature to give up. Great athletes know that. In the NHL, a team will average 30 shots on goal per game, but the average score is two to three goals.

Remember that Michael Jordan commercial? He was walking down a hallway with his back to the camera. It looked like he was heading to a locker room. They used his voice over the scene and he listed all the game winning shots he missed, how many times he lost etc. it was basically a list of his failures and the last line was “…and that is why I succeed.”

Every time a player goes to bat, shoots a puck or a basket, they take a risk; the bigger the game, the bigger the risk. When was the last time you took a real risk? Do you remember? If you can’t, then maybe you should take one.

I don’t mean to just go crazy and do something stupid. Take the time to prepare for it, calculate your odds of success. I mean, don’t try out for the NBA if you’ve never held a basketball, but if you want to be in the NBA, pick one up and learn to dribble, then shoot, then…

As always, take it one step at a time. Decide what you want to do. It’s probably something you’ve always wanted whether it’s to start a business, learn a sport or take dance lessons. You know what it is.

Once you know what you want to do, take the time to figure out how you can do it. Make some phone calls and do some research. Find out what it will take and write it down in a step by step process. Then, take the next step.

See you’ve already done the first three once you have it written down, but the real risk is in the doing. All the lists in the world don’t matter if you don’t do it.

The doing is how you get what you want in life. Every time you take that leap, you grow and learn. You can’t possibly fail.

I know this is an old cliché but it’s true. The only time you truly fail is if you don’t try; when you don’t do. So now that you know that the only way you can fail is if you don’t do it, what are you going to do? Whatever it is, go for it.

When you’re on your deathbed, are you going to be the one who says, “I’m glad I did…” or “I wish I had.” I hope you’re the one who does.