Why Taking Chances is Worth The Risk

Why Taking Chances is Worth The Risk

Life never ceases to amaze me when it comes to handing out life lessons.

They almost always seem to come out of nowhere: a random encounter with an old friend, an unexpected moment of silence, an offhand comment made by a stranger.  They catch me off guard every single time they happen.   Because I can plan, plan, plan with the hope of foiling an unexpected event from being not so unexpected, but it doesn’t work.

It can’t work.  If it did, life would suck.

There would be no variety.  No change.  No surprises.

I was talking with a friend a while back, who was expecting his first child, and I asked if he and his wife knew the sex.  He responded, “In all honesty, we don’t want to know.  Once you reach adulthood there tends to be fewer and fewer surprises in life, so we’re taking this opportunity to enjoy the uncertainty.”

I’ve come to learn that the number of unanticipated events that can change our lives is directly correlated to the percentage of time we spend out of our comfort zones.  That’s when we grow.

Recently I’ve spent a lot of time living a life of comfort: relatively stable work, a consistent morning routine, and a calendar that plots out my every move.  That’s fine and dandy, but it’s time to start taking chances again; embracing risks that align with my goals and values, throw caution to the wind and see what happens.  Briefly think about the moments in your life that stand out, the ones that are burned into your memory as experiences that changed who you are.  Were the majority of them unexpected and during a time you felt some level of discomfort?

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, nails it on the head,

The days are long but the years are short.

Time can fly by in the blink of an eye.  If aren’t paying attention, it may just end before we had any idea it really began.  That’s a fatal error I don’t want to make…

Enjoy The Journey

P.S.  I’m going to be jumping on the bandwagon in the near future and embark upon a 30-day challenge of some sort.  Check back soon if you’re intrigued and want to join in on the adventure.  In the meantime, think of something you want to do or change, big or small.