In my weekend Quotables, what looks to be volume number seven, I wrote about risk and the importance of taking risks. I guess risk is on my mind because I have taken a leap last week by hiring a photography coach. My risk is financial, one that if I fail, I’ll shake my head over for the rest of my life, but that is the nature of risk. If there is really nothing to lose than it really isn’t a risk is it?
We may call it that. Or we can walk away and feel good for a few moments that we avoided a major disaster down the road. We can convince ourselves that this is not our time, that we don’t deserve it, and that our personal history tells a different story. Great things don’t happen to people like us. Life is hard and the fulfillment of our dreams is a matter of striking it rich with six numbers on a Friday night.
With the support of my wife I have wagered a great deal of money on myself and my ability as a photographer. I am a smidgen sad that the publishing and writing has to take a back seat for a little while, but only a smidgen, because its not like the books were flying off the shelf to begin with.
I’ve waged some capital on my abilities and I believe that is one of the easier risks to take. Money comes and goes. Your house, if you are happy enough to own one, can change from one year to the next and you will incur money you didn’t even dream possible to have. My own house has gone up some two or three hundred thousand in value. Of course I can’t really sell it, or else I would have to live in a van by the river, but what I can do is leverage my dreams by risking a little bit of it now.
I think its a matter of how you look at life. What we don’t want to spend on ourselves for one reason or another we will dutifully pay in taxes, or parking tickets, or interest payments on a credit card. So risk is definitely a funny thing.
But I don’t want to talk about money. I think it is the easiest risk to take. There are riskier ventures. Like discovering something you love and actually having the courage to go after it, especially if that will lose your friends, make you the subject of gossip, or raise an eyebrow or two from family members.
We have to take risks.
I didn’t say play games with our life and live recklessly. I said we need to take risks.
Risks that are calculated but risks that hurt and make us uncomfortable.
Risks are a blessing and its good to get entangled in some once in a while.
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@mgshannon
