“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” Helen Keller
Why do we take risks?
Why do we feel the need to take a chance on something even though we are comfortable?
Why he has?
It is a tricky question, but one we must ask ourselves.
Taking risks is not about making money for casino owners by going all-in.
Taking risks is how we grow, learn, get better, and find success.
Complacency is where growth stops.
Everyone wants to be successful in life, whether in their career, family life, or health. However, not everyone wants to dive headfirst into uncertainty. Some people like to play it safe and stay where there are. Most people are afraid to follow their instincts and take a risk.
It can be scary, but taking calculated risks has benefits. If you follow your instincts, you may see some of these Benefits of Taking Risks:
You Learn More When You Take Risks
When Thomas Edison talked about his experience creating the light bulb, he said, “I have not failed 1000 times. I have learned 1000 ways not to make a light bulb.”
This mentality is what is needed to grow. Some risks may not go the way you want them. But even in failure, you learn something. You may find an error in your method or an issue with the end goal. But you will always learn something when you take a risk. When you look at taking risks in this way, the threat itself becomes less important. You become better, smarter, more efficient, or a combination of those and more.
When a baby first learns to walk, it falls. Eventually, though, the baby steps, then it runs. You cannot learn to run if you do not lose a little first.
Embracing Risk Destroys a Fear of Failure
One of the most famous actors of the last thirty years, Samuel L. Jackson, is known for his electric personality and voice. But did you know that he grew up without a stutter? He became an incredibly successful actor, a career that requires much speaking, with a disability that inhibits speaking.
What if Jackson was too afraid to pursue an acting career? Pulp Fiction, Star Wars, and The Avengers would be a lot different (and worse). Instead of letting his fear of failure overcome him, he took a risk and became better because of it.
What fear is stopping you from taking a risk? Fear of failure is natural, but the key to success is not letting that fear control you. You take those fears, address them, and then take that next step to success: risk.
Taking Risks Inspires Creative Thinking
Let us say you go on vacation to a place you have never been before.
- How do you get to your hotel?
- What time does the breakfast buffet end?
- Where is the beach?
These are all questions you may have that need to be answered that require you to think creatively to find answers.
Taking a risk is like taking a vacation from the ordinary. When you are in a new place encountering new problems, you must think on your feet. You have never been there before, but uncharted territory requires untapped creativity.
When you eventually find the solution, it will be a creative one because you will have had to think in a new way. You would not have seen this innovative solution without taking the risk. Now you know how to fix more problems, and you know more ways to do things. Now the next step is to take another chance.
Risks Boost Self-Confidence
Think about a time when you took a chance, and it succeeded. It felt pretty good, right? That feeling happens when you take a risk. It happened when you were insightful enough to take a chance and intelligent sufficient to figure out how to work through it. That is what builds self-confidence.
Sure, it might not happen every time. Sometimes you might fail. That does not feel good but remember taking risks destroys that fear of failure. When you take that subsequent risk that succeeds, that feeling of loss will go away. It will be replaced by the sense of accomplishment, of a job well done.
You will feel what success feels like, and you will be more inclined to chase more success. But you will not feel that feeling when you do not take some risks.
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