11 Oct Happiness and taking risks
Happiness is partly about doing what you love and what you’re good at and importantly, what’s right. Happiness is also about learning new things and trying something new at regular intervals.
For many people happiness and doing things differently is not always easy…and I suspect that’s because many of us struggle to take risks. Below, I bring you another great tip from Lou tice which although not directly about happiness is about risk and is, therefore, very relevant to our happiness discussions and to you, my happiness colleagues. Thanks to Lou and enjoy…
Winner’s Circle Network with Lou Tice – 10/10/07 – “Taking Risks”
Do you consider yourself a risk-taker? I think you probably are, and I will tell you why.
In one of his books, Leo Buscaglia wrote that, “To laugh is to risk appearing a fool, to weep is to risk appearing too sentimental, to reach out for another is to risk involvement, and to expose feelings is to risk exposing one’s true self.
“To place your ideas and 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 all risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
“The person who risks nothing also does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. If we avoid risk we may avoid suffering and sorrow, but we simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live.”
I would agree with Leo Buscaglia. If, out of our fears, we refuse to risk, we also forfeit our freedom because only a person who risks is truly free.
And, only a person who risks can grow, because all personal growth involves risk.
If you stay focused on the benefits of the risk, instead of putting all your energy into worrying about what could go wrong, and if you consistently affirm and visualize what success will look and feel like, it will be much easier for you to take the risks you need to take in order to grow and to be the best you can be.
Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com