Taking Risks
We all take risks in our lives. Whenever you leave your house and drive a car, you are taking a huge risk. When we choose our spouses, or attempt to find out what we want to do in our lives, or even eat at a local restaurant; we take risks. Some risks are more dangerous than others, such as High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jumps; however, taking risks is something that we all must do in order to thrive and grow.
Looking deeper into risk taking reveals two possibilities: taking calculated risks and taking blind risks. There is a difference. People that are inherently resilient take calculated risks. They study tides, the weather, and other factors before venturing out into the great outdoors on an adventure. They don't just go out and risk it all without getting training. That is the calculated risk. The blind risk is simply doing something that gives you adrenaline but little or no training. People have called SEALs adrenaline junkies. That is the furthest from the truth. Risky activity is trained and rehearsed to mitigate the danger and lower the risk of failure. But you must take the risk in order to grow.
The rub occurs between the space of not doing anything (low risk) and learning something that pushes you out of your comfort zone to the point of potential failure (high risk). If the risk of failure is high, then we tend not to push out of our comfort zone. However, if you practice risky (calculated) behavior long enough, then learning new things not only becomes second nature but becomes intoxicating.
This week, I want you to identify some things that you may fear to do because you may risk failure. Start training for them and set a date when you will attempt the activity. The activity could be something really simple like speaking in public or learning how to SCUBA dive. Push yourself through the risky behavior and see how you feel. Remember to train first though and not chase the adrenaline rush. What you gain from training and pushing out of your comfort zone may surprise you and carry over into other activities as well.
"Lean into it!"
Dr. N
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