Saturday, January 18, 2014

Risks


I believe that risk is an important part of living a good life. Without taking risks, you cannot truly live – you merely exist. Risk doesn’t need to involve danger; it only needs to involve uncertainty. Four of the top risks in my life include:

1.    The risk of being hurt
Everyone has his or her heart broken more than a few times – as well as break some hearts. I occasionally argue with my closest friends or cry because time is passing too fast. I take the risk of losing someone that I thought I couldn’t live without. This is all what happens when I open my heart and mind to the greatest joys of life. Anybody who is capable of living and loving is bound to get hurt at some point, but that’s the risk that’s well worth the reward. It’s important to laugh too much and love like you’ve never been hurt because life is too short to let it pass by.

2.    The risk of possibly failing
I challenge myself everyday. As I conquer challenges that stand in my way, I find confidence in my abilities. Having confidence is significant in the path of success.  It’s important for me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. The reason life can be so rewarding is because nothing is guaranteed. My many failed attempts are simply evidence that I am reaching higher – which is always the best direction to go. Some of my best life experiences and opportunities have come after I dared to lose.

3.    The risk of letting go and starting anew
Holding on to what’s no longer there has always held me back. I must accept the end of something in order to begin to build something new. This is important to me right now since I am in the last semester of my college life. I will be starting a new chapter out in the real world and I need to be able to let go of my college life here in Athens to make room for more wonderful things to come. I must not waste anymore of my time trying to live in another time and place.

4.    Everyday risks
The world is an inherently risky place with unpredictable twists and turns, regardless of how many safeguards we put into place to avoid then.
-       Driving: I speed when I drive and risk my life the minute I get into my car. I drive a small car that roughly doubles my risk of those that drive a larger car.
-       Stairways: Should be simple right? But falls kills 16,000 people per year. Every morning when I take the stairs of my old 3-story apartment, I risk falling.
-       Coffee: I drink a cup of coffee a day with my breakfast. It contains caffeine, a well-known stimulant that may be carcinogenic.
-       Tanning bed: I use the tanning beds almost everyday, especially a lot in the wintertime. I’m really putting myself in a greater lifetime risk of developing skin cancer. 

I am very aware of the risks in my everyday life, but that doesn’t mean I will ever stop doing them. Risks are uncertain and unpredictable but they allow you to grow and discover new things about yourself and the world.

Life doesn’t come with any guarantees.













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