Risky Business

How to Know When to Take a Risk — or to Play it Safe

by Kathryn Tristan

 

            When was the last time, upon leaving someone’s company, you heard them say, “Good-bye, take a Risk!” Probably, never? Instead we hear the admonition, “Good-bye, take care!” or simply, “Be careful!”

            Of course, the intent of well-wishers is simply their desire for our safety and happiness. But which farewell do we need?

            Life seems, by definition, a risky business because most of it is unpredictable. Birth could happen on a bus, in the hospital, on the due date, before the due date or after, etc. It could go smoothly or be complicated.

            Risk doesn’t stop there. During childhood, you may have had the conventional home life, or perhaps your parents split up. Perhaps you moved a lot, or had to deal with health issues.

            Life happens! Each day we head out into the world presents risks. Even the word itself is ancient. The earliest term was likely coined by the Greeks. Homer described Odysseus, who unsuccessfully tried to save his ship from turbulent seas generated by an angry Zeus. The word as we now use it comes more from the Spanish and Portuguese and means to sail into uncharted waters. Perhaps the French had the best idea as they changed the word to risque, meaning daring.

            What about you? Do you find yourself about to sail into uncharted water? Are you approaching it with a daring attitude? During times of challenge, we have two major choices in how we respond: risking or recoiling. We can go forward, step by step, to break new ground, or shrivel into fear, anxiety and worry.

            A physical risk, of course, requires focusing on our own safety. Other types of risks are just as serious and life-altering, such as: the risk in starting a new relationship, or ending an unhappy one; the risk in finding a new job or stay in our current one; the risk in starting a business, etc.

            The question is, when should we take a risk and when should we play it safe? How do we know which way to go?

            The best guidance comes from our inner wisdom — the quiet voice that taps into interior sources of guidance and strength — to give us an “inside scoop” on what is happening in our outer world. Our inner spirits have much to teach us. It’s our own internal compass, designed to steer us in the direction our life has intended us to go.

            When we play it safe, instead of listening to the eager and adventurous inner side, we withhold energy — we stand cross-armed and cross-legged with bullish determination to stay safe. But, is it safe to play it safe?

            Several years ago, I was dealing with anxiety and panic issues. I could not go beyond metropolitan St. Louis for more than 20 years. Fly an airplane? Never! My fears kept me as a virtual prisoner, trying to play it safe to ward off those terrible feelings. I began to heal by working from the inside out, not the more traditional way of outside in (pills, etc.). I also learned that, to overcome any challenge, I must be agreeable to taking a risk — the risk to heal, the risk to tackle fear, the risk to travel, the risk to fly.

            The good news is that fear has been my best teacher. I had my struggles in the process, but I learned to consider them as experiments that brought me information about what to do or what not to do. There is no failure, only feedback! I have now flown to many parts of the world, spoken before packed audiences and live in more joy and peace. When you gather the courage and conviction to take a risk, your life may better begin to unfold and your happiness surge.

            Here are a five ways to tune into your inner voice of wisdom and guidance to help you decide what risks to take.

 

Focus on an intention and ask for help.  The power to create your outer world the way you want it begins by first creating ideas and feelings inside. Simply requesting help can open the portals for guidance.

 

Listen for whispers that give you an inner sense of happiness. Learn to quiet your mind through peaceful reflection or meditation. Go within and release the ‘how’ and ‘when’ of the situation.

 

Lay the groundwork. Accomplishing your dreams or solving your problems comes from moving energy. There isn’t a genie in this bottle. It is your effort, determination and unbridled enthusiasm for positive outcomes that propel you into success.

 

Be flexible. You can’t control everything, so don’t try to force the issue! All you can control is your reaction and attitude. Let life happen as it needs to happen and surge into success with a focused flexibility that seeks the highest good.

 

Find your peace point and be grateful. When deciding, don’t just find the logic of the decision, find out if the decision makes you feel enthusiastically peaceful. Then, feel grateful for all that you already have in order to attract more for which you can be grateful.

 

            Always remember that our thoughts create our lives. Choose them wisely. Good-bye for now — take a risk!