Taking risks
“Don’t be scared, just jump in!” said the swimming instructor to my 6 year old daughter, who nervously wrung her hands, her lip quivering. Hmmm…these words haven’t quite accomplished the magic that her teacher has hoped for this past week. The last week has been full of early morning lessons, lots of tears (my daughter’s that is), and lots of hugs. It’s been a different kind of week around my house, to say the least.
Some types of personalities don’t tend toward taking risks, or just “jumping into the pool”. You probably know if this is you. You like to play it safe, even down to ordering the same tasty entrée off the menu at your favorite restaurant each time you go. There is some genetic contribution to this –so thank your mom and dad! But, if you are wanting to open yourself up to taking some risks, be encouraged to know that there are some aspects of this that are within your control. Often we create our own barriers to risk taking—letting certain fears or “what if’s” crowd out our desires and goals. We might hold on to our need for security and predictability or hold the belief that change is impossible, when the truth is that change just requires some openness to the unknown and a willingness to stumble along the way.
