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Taking risks – is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Alphonse Huvi
Alphonse Huvi - "We have the choice of putting those doubts where they belong  - out of the way"

ALPHONSE HUVI

TINPUTZ - The meaning of the word ‘risk’ is the possibility that something bad may happen.  As in, ‘it’s a risk’.

Author Mike Murdock has written that “most people choose to sit as spectators in the game of life rather than risk the arena of conflict to wear the crown of victory.”

I guess it comes back to each individual as to whether one is willing to take the risk of pursuing something they’re interested in and capable of doing.

So many times we ask ourselves a question starting with, ‘What if…’?

What if I do this and others think badly of me?

What if I do that and others disapprove?

What if I do the other and create enemies?

The ‘what if’ question troubles many people because it expresses the fear of facing the challenges that lie ahead.

We seem to allow low self-esteem to rule rather than tell ourselves we are capable of doing something.

We do have the choice of putting those doubts where they belong  - out of the way.

So taking risks can offer us benefits to enjoy. However, it also has the disadvantage that things may not go as we want. Then we have to face the consequences.

Of course, if we consider first what those consequences might be, and take steps to avoid them, we are better prepared to overcome the risks.

It comes back to making good choices. We make wise decisions and are likely to reap from them if we minimise the risk.

So taking a well thought-through risk can be beneficial.

So why are some people risk takers and other people not?

I don’t know. I guess it depends on who we are and what we’re prepared to do.

And on how carefully we work out what the risks might be, and how we can avoid them.

Comments

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Simon Jackson

Good piece. Funny, isn't it, how much our perception of "risk" revolves around what others will think of us, especially if we fail?

Mum taught me 'stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me'. But for such a social creature, words can actually hurt, for a lot longer than a physical wound.

But the alternative is to be a spectator of life, not a participant. Perhaps that is the greatest risk of all?

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