Do you ever think about the risks you take every single day? Some are calculated, some not so much, some you don't even know you're taking. And we hear it all the time in life: you won't get anywhere if you don't take a few risks. And it is true, really. Of course, some risks are bigger than others, but to achieve a goal, to get to where you want to be in life, a risk has to be taken.
Risks can be exciting, even thrilling. Thinking about the possible outcome of what this risk could mean for you has you picturing a life that you crave, a life that is seemingly almost within your grasp. And it's that vision, coupled with the unsatisfying feeling of life as it is now, that spurs us on to take these risks... or maybe peer pressure.
Now, I don't think I'm saying anything particularly insightful or groundbreaking. I would think this is all common knowledge, and most of us know what it means to take a risk. We also know how it feels to take a risk and for it to pay off. Pure elation—somehow you see yourself as more intelligent and cunning because there was a chance it wouldn't pay off, but somehow you made it work, even if it was out of your control and maybe down to luck. This is how gambling addictions are born. But what about the risks we take that don't pay off? The ones that have consequences—financial, professional, mental—the ones that scar us and burden us. Do we ever admit to those?
Because some risks are more than just betting on a horse or deciding to go out without a jacket. Some will have dire consequences no matter how calculated you think they are. Is this post starting to sound a little dramatic and morbid right now? Sorry. I actually came up with the name of this post before I figured out its content.
I wouldn't really consider myself a risk-taker; if you know me, then you know that I can take a while to make a decision. I obsess over every single repercussion of any possible action I might take, which makes me very indecisive, anxious, and confused. But I have realized that when it comes to friends, people that I'm close with, then my threshold for risk-taking is actually very low. Which, of course, gets me into sticky situations and puts me in a continuous cycle of always telling myself I won't take a risk like that again. But I know I will.
Thinking about some of these risks... I took one... a few months ago. I won't go into detail about it, but it didn't work out. It backfired immensely, actually. But I went into it with nothing to lose, and the Byran of a few years ago would've never done it, so in that regard, I'm proud of myself. But was taking that risk worth all the fallout that came after it? I mean, definitely not. Fallout that I'm still dealing with today. But had I not taken the risk, then I would always be wondering "what if?"
And that's the decision you're ultimately making. Taking a risk isn't always about chasing some dream or fairytale; a lot of it is about the fear of living in regret. Of course, it's easy to say a risk wasn't worth it when it doesn't pay out... but what if it did? Then it would've been. But you will only know that once you take the risk. And from each risk you take, you'll learn more about people, the world around you, and yourself. Sure, it can come at a cost, but sometimes the price is worth paying.
So as always, not really sure what the whole point of all this was... hmmmm let me find one. Taking risks is important; it's part of living the human experience, but always be conscious of the effects these risks are having on you. And even though no one ever knows with 100% certainty how something will turn out, sometimes you owe it to yourself to find out. And if it doesn't go your way... that's alright... there'll be something/someone else to break your heart soon enough.