Friday 14 September 2012

Risks


Are we taking enough risks??

I remember when my friends used to spend hours playing the board game RISK. But it never seemed very risky to me, in fact it mostly just seemed a bit boring. They would spend hours making calculated moves on the board game map, resulting in heated arguments and general frustration. It didn't really seem to live up to its name.

Because, for me, the word risk evokes a feeling of spontaneity and danger. Putting your faith into something in which you have no clear way of knowing the answer. Because, if you knew it would all work out peachy, then it wouldn't really be a risk would it? It would just be a simple choice.

But do we need risk in our lives? Or is it just better to play safe and stick with what we know. By taking no risks we could lead lives in which we are protected, but possibly bored out of our brains. We wouldn't be open to new possibilities and ideas, we would be cut off from the world.

Getting on a plane. Thats a risk. I might die. Or have a mid air panic attack.

Trying a new food. Thats a huge risk. I could throw up or have a horrible taste in my mouth forever and ever. Yuk central.

Jumping in the pool. Another risk. I could bruise my bum, or my bikini might fly off.

EQUALLY THOUGH.....

I might not die on the plane, and sedatives could keep me calm, and at the end of the journey I'll arrive at some fabulous destination.

I might like the new food. Maybe even love it...(but to be honest, that's pretty unlikely..)

And even if my bikini falls off and I bruise my bum, it would be a funny story, and I would ultimately feel more refreshed, and rather less sweaty than if I hadn't jumped in the pool.

So maybe risks have to be weighed up. What might you lose? But more importantly, what could you gain??

I guess the examples I've given  might seem pretty small and silly in the grand scheme of life.. But by taking small steps, little risks regularly, then maybe the bigger choices in life, the riskier risks, might not seem so scary.

xxx

1 comment:

  1. A mid-air panic attack - I hear you on that! I have spent a large part of my adult life living in the far east, so at the height of my panic disorder years getting on a plane felt like the worst decision ever. Never had a panic attack on a plane, though. Just worried about it. I often found, if you try and talk yourself into a panic attack it's impossible to do, so I'd just spend long flights challenging myself to have one. Eventually I'd get bored and fall asleep. Good luck with your risk taking! It's always worth it, believe me.

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