Risk-Taking

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool;
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental;
To reach out for another is to risk involvement;
To expose feelings is to risk exposing true self;
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss;
To love is to risk not being loved in return;
To live is to risk dying;
To hope is to risk despair;
To try is to risk failure;
But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing;
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing;
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love and live;
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave and has forfeited freedom'
Only a person who risks is free.

I am beginning to appreciate what this year means for me - it is about truly recognizing and appreciating what it means to take risks.

I have fallen in love - and found myself willing to be vulnerable in a way I have never before - it is making me come face-to-face with some cogent aspects of myself.

Risk-taking involves many parts...

1. Action itself:-

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  Opening yourself to change. It is the accepting of the need for change and it is taking the behavioral steps that will result in that change.


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  Honest appraisal of a situation in life requiring your action.


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  Understanding the risks involved in taking such action.


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  Weighing the pros and cons of taking the action.


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  Making a choice to take the required action.


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  Performing the action with full consciousness of the risks, pros and cons and potential outcome.


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  Accepting the consequences of such action.
  

2. Reactions around the action:-

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  The ability to ignore your need for other's approval in order to take the most appropriate action for you.


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  The behavioral process involving the gamble that you may experience rejection from others for the actions you have chosen to take.


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  Pursuing the required actions despite the fear that it will affect others negatively, resulting in their efforts to make you feel guilty about taking such action.

3. Problem-solving & Conflict resolution:-

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  Now-oriented action.


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  Direct confrontation of a problem. It is the absence of procrastination and denial in dealing with a problem.


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  Responsible action taken to pursue the resolution of a problem.


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  The effort to be honest with yourself about your part in interpersonal problems, admitting that you have certain personal barriers that prevent the resolution of the problem.


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  Admitting to the other(s) involved what the barriers are and seeking assistance to address those barriers and resolve the problems.


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  Committing to become objective in pursuing a rational approach to a problem.


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  The willingness to identify irrational blocking beliefs, which hinder resolutions.


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  Opening yourself to be identified as being too subjective, too emotional, too obstructing and too hindering in the resolution of your problem.


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  The willingness to accept honest, objective feedback about the need for you to change your own behavior.


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  The effort to be less subjective, less defensive and more open in your search for truth, honesty and sanity in resolving your problem.


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  The willingness to take a healing, forgiving and forgetting attitude in pursuing the resolution of a conflict.


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  Opening yourself to be vulnerable, to being taken advantage of by the other in the conflict situation.


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  Demonstrating your trust in the other person's willingness to accept an honest, open and upfront approach to resolving the conflict.

4. Personal commitment:-

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  Deciding to make a personal sacrifice of time, energy, ability and knowledge as an investment to better your circumstances.


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  Hoping your circumstances will improve as a result of your personal sacrifice, but making it anyway.

What I have learn is that risk-taking is considered risk-taking because one does it despite oneself.

These past few weeks, I have seen myself act/behave/think in patterns that I thought were old and long-gone. I am slowly reclaiming myself, and now, find myself more actively challenging these patterns. What are these patterns?

Fear makes me lose my objectivity - it makes me interpret actions and words within a lense of fear. It is a fear I have to conquer from within - to conquer by recognizing that I am who I am, which is a worthwhile person. When vulnerable, I still have to remain clear and secure on this foundation - that vulnerability is about being open to truths and being open about truths.

(to be continued...)