In life there will be risks, especially if you have a destination beyond your grasp. There are two types of risk: 1) the danger of trying and perhaps not succeeding and 2) the danger of not trying wherein failure is certain. You must take chance if you are to move out the safe harbor and journey to a new port. Not every chance is worth the risk. There are smart as well as dumb risks. A risk is stupid if you have the potential to lose more than you might gain. Dumb risks should be avoided. Smart risks are part of the price that must be paid for success, and there are smart actions you can take to temper them. When you leave a safe harbor, you must be psychologically prepared for the unexpected.
When you hit a bump in the road, you must think if it as only a bump in the road and nothing more. Despite Murphy's Law, which states that “If it can get worse, it will”, there is a corollary law that states, “If it can better, it will”. There is no way of knowing from the onset which way the adversity will play out. The more resources you bring to bear on a problem, the higher the likelihood that you will prevail against obstacles. So, just prepare for the worst and expect the best. It is helpful to remember…“for every blocked path, there is an open one.”[1]
“When we go through tough times, we grow in ability. Some of our best experiences come to us through facing a challenge. Some challenges we cannot control, but others we can. Don't fight the changes you can't control. Instead, control your inner thoughts. Don’t imagine problems to be bigger than they are. “We often times make little problems into big problems by taking them too seriously. Instead, consider failures as gifts, because they most often set you up for a breakthrough. Plus, failure is a great teacher, builds character, motivates, and helps one to appreciate success. Sometimes, we are more prepared for challenge than we give ourselves credit for. That's when God will give us a nudge that allows us to rise to the occasion and take a giant step towards our dreams.”[2]
The severity of smart risks can be reduced by these techniques: 1) testing the waters before you dive in (prototypes, trial runs, etc), 2) going with what you know (investigate and know your challenges), 3) take the time to think the problem through to logical solutions, 4) get a second opinion from the experts, and 5) prepare in advance for unseen and unknown consequences. “Even if you don't know it all, you should know what you don't know, and often that is sufficient. Living on the edge isn't so bad so long as you have faith in yourself and your creator.”[3]
Eventually, you must set sail and leave the safe harbor people call their comfort zone. Procrastination won’t get you to where you want to go. Procrastination only leads to delay and delay ultimately makes bad things happen.”[4]
[1] Nick Vujicic, Life Without Limits
[2] Nick Vujicic, Life Without Limits
[3] Nick Vujicic, Life Without Limits
[4] Piers Steel, The Procrastination Equation
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