[Italicized text from the book ENTREPRENEUR: Road Map For Success]
Is the risk worth it?
“Well, the answer to that question is quite simple, and I can definitively say, 100%, without a shadow of doubt, that the answer is: ‘I do not know.’” Why? Because “you must decide because only you can determine for yourself” if the risk is or will be worth it.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
It’s like the old saying, “Shoot for the moon; if you miss, you will at least land among the stars.”
But can you risk going too far? Is it wise to go too far? What is too far?
Those are great questions, but they are not the questions we are discussing or answers we are seeking right now.
You don’t necessarily need to risk going too far, but you do need to take risks in life. Yes. You need to take risks.
You can't get anywhere in life without taking risks.
I take a risk every time I publish a new blog or podcast episode (From My Standpoint podcast) or book, especially since I do write about philosophical and political topics as well. And boy do some of those topics bring out the worst in people. Then again, is it truly the worst, or is it just what was already there in their hearts that they were trying to mask? Anyway, as I have said in another book of mine when I took a big risk in writing it and having it published for people to either like or criticize, "I also would like to thank all those who called me names, defriended me, tried to lie about me, and wished me death...for...even bringing up any topic that is mentioned in this book." That risk was a calculated risk—one taken after much thought, research, and the need to get the truth out there.
But taking a risk does not grant you a license to be foolish, or anyone for that matter.
The requirement for life that we take a risk, however, puts the responsibility for life—your goals for your life—and the accountability for your success in your hands. This should not be an insight that ushers in fear or worry to the front row of your life. On the contrary, it should be an insight that ignites a passion in you to ask yourself the difficult questions: Who are you, really? What do you want to accomplish? What is your goal? Can I define for myself what success will look like in my life? Or you can begin small and ask yourself what success will look like today? This does not have to be a long answer or a hard one at that, not if you are honest with yourself. Start with today.
Why is it so hard then for people to take great risks, especially when success in their lives is often on the line?
One possible answer might be because we equate success to winning, but we don’t often define what success is for ourselves; therefore, how do most people know if they are “winning” in life? They don’t. Not unless they’ve defined that success. Either way, no one can achieve success if they are not also willing to take a risk. If you think about it, even stepping outside your home, driving in a car, taking a job, making what we think would be the simplest of choices—these are all risks. If they weren’t, then we would know the outcomes before ever taking that first step.
“When I say ‘risk’ I am not talking about running to the nearest casino and risking your life savings on the toss of the dice.”
It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win.
But what is it to risk then?
“Taking a risk means putting faith in the unknown; it is having hope in the unseen for positive results; it is about believing in our future by investing precious time and valuable resources into the journey, and doing so with an opportunistic mindset. As it states in Hebrews 11:1, ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ It is a combination of personal choices and the consequences of those choices.”
Risk is stepping forward into the future that you want, climbing that ladder one rung at a time toward reaching your goal, taking those bricks, and building your success. I talk in my book even more about risk and success, but I inform you of questions that we all must ask ourselves, one of which is the following:
"Will I arrive to class with a desire for learning, an optimistic attitude toward the lesson, and an opportunistic vision toward the result?"
I do hope you all answer yourselves honestly. As for me, I have chosen to take this response: “I have taken a rocky path and have had many bricks dropped on me, but I will use those bricks to build a strong foundation, and upon that foundation, I shall place those rocks as the steps I need to reach my success.”
Does it always work? Sometimes. But without risk, there can be no reward. And the biggest risk is taking no risks at all.
“Risk-taking will be rewarding if we can progress toward our goal or, at the very least, choose to learn from it, but it may not always lead us to success. Yet, without risk, we are almost guaranteed no success.”
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