To Risk or Not to Risk

The man, the woman who risks nothing

does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool,

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental,

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,

To explore feelings is to risk exposing our true self,

To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk 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 at all is to risk failure.
But risk we must,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

- Author Unknown

We want to succeed, but not as bad as we do not want to fail. Have you ever tried to play a sport and failed miserably? Or held a baby, and he started crying and you’ve never held one since? or maybe you’ve been wanting to ask a girl out, but not as bad as you don’t want to be rejected. When there’s a possibility of success, there is a possibility of it not being successful. But it doesn’t mean that we failed. Michael Jordan, the best basketball player of all time, said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” The kid may start crying, but what if he doesn’t? Maybe she says no, but until you ask, there’s no way she can say yes.

As this new year begins, don’t let things hold you back. Mark Twain wrote, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Don’t miss out on your life because of a simple failed attempt.