Summary:
The role of risk-taking in human life, the influence of risk-taking in success and much more.
“Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
When was the last time you went outside your comfort zone? Sure, it must have been uncomfortable but was it not profitable? Irrespective of if you succeeded or failed, you did end up learning something. It could have been anything from performing onstage or investing in penny stocks, but you did get rewards for taking those risks.
While some students are innately risk-averse, others recklessly seek out risk. In general perception, the first group is considered to be wise while the latter seems to be branded as the wild one.
The first group comprises the ones who stick to one job, one spouse, and invest in the low margin but safe stock options. Meanwhile, the latter one reaches the summit of Mt Everest or circum-navigates the world. They are the kind that may have left seeking India and reached America, but their guts got them success either way. They may look reckless but there is always a method behind the madness.
Yes, there are instances when students don’t like to take chances, but this is the only way we can grow and develop. The very thought of speaking to a stranger on the bus seems terrifying, but such a stranger might even end up casting you in his movie. Risk gives us two things, success or failure and a lesson on the house.
We do not anticipate the likelihood of being the sole survivor of a plane crash but when in such a scenario, taking risks is the only thing that will keep us alive. To build a shelter, gather dry wood for a fire, or even look for water to drink, students will have to take risks. However, if we were to sit doing nothing, come night, we will have nothing to keep us alive.
That example probably is kind of extreme but whether you like to take a risk or not, life will take the risk of making you take decisions that incidentally, are a risk. To remain within one’s comfort zone may seem happy and safe, but have we lived our lives if we were to remain within the four walls of a room?
Some of the students may find it challenging to handle the risk-taking-related uncertainty. Knowing that there is a possibility of failure can push us under the cloud of fear. This is the cloud that pours down “what ifs?”
However, taking risks is not as much about the outcome as it is about facing our fear. We take risks to face our fears and we fail to learn lessons. Soon “what If?” with a negative perspective becomes a “What If? “with positive opportunities. Failure is not the opposite of success but rather the path towards success. A person had to lose elections 8 times, fail twice in business, and suffer a nervous breakdown before becoming one of the greatest American presidents. Well, that was the story of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
However, one cannot simply jump off a cliff to become a risk-taker. You need to have some fundamentals before you take the jump. It must be noted that leaders play not-to-lose rather than playing to win. Taking risks boosts our confidence, self-esteem as well as life experience. Here are some simple ways you can take risks in a student’s life.
Safe Ways to Take Risks in Your Life
1. Risk Being Honest
Try being honest with yourself and others. Dishonesty is a delay of the truth with bad repercussions. And no one likes a liar. So, you could stop saying things you don’t mean, saying YES when you want to say NO, lying to yourself, or living a lie.
2. Spend on Something Impulsive
Take a risk and spend, say a thousand bucks buying something out of sheer impulse. It might seem childish but that purchase is also you giving yourself a treat. Meanwhile, if you don’t have the required funds, the risk has already made you save up for it.
3. Speak to A Stranger
Yes, parents say don’t speak to a stranger, but try it. Talking to a stranger is a tough challenge, but who knows, the stranger might surprise you. In any case, speaking to a stranger now will probably not put you in a quandary when trying to find an address in a new location.
