I came across these words from the Dalai Lama recently:
   “Take into account that great love & great achievements involve great risk.â€
Which got me to thinkin’ about the whole risk thing. Again.
Simply put, I’ve come to believe that risk aversion is one of the most dangerous things we face in our lives. That’s right – fear and avoidance of risk is extremely dangerous.
Of course, to run headlong and senselessly into the arms of great risk is equally dangerous.
Risk is one side of a scale, balanced on the other side by opportunity. The greatest things in life require an embrace of a great opportunity when it comes along, but that embrace usually holds more than just opportunity – it almost always carries risk as well.
Opportunity and risk are two sides of a scale that nature seems to keep generally balanced. Great opportunity is accompanied by great risk. Small risk usually means small opportunity.
Cultures or organizations who become too risk averse lock themselves into mediocrity. Increasing risk aversion is almost always a sign of decline.
People are like that too. Our life here is a short one in many regards. The universe finds a way to let us catch glimpses of great opportunity now and then, but it’s not every day. The more readily we embrace the opportunities when they come along, the more generous the universe seems to get at letting us recognize other opportunities. With each of the opportunities, we feel the risk – big opportunity, big risk. When the risk feels to great, and we let it push us away from the opportunity, it seems to get harder and harder for us to see the opportunities when they come along.
All things in life fit into seasons. Some seasons allow for greater risk, while others demand we be more careful. I’ve been learning that my risk tolerance and hunger for the next great adventure in life have tipped my scales dramatically. It’s fun to step a little further out onto the ledge of risk than life allowed in earlier seasons. It’s fun to catch a glimpse of just how vast the ocean of potential “opportunity†is out there.
I suppose we all need to get our scales tuned up now and again, to make sure they’re ready for the next great thing life throws our way. To make sure we aren’t evaluating and judging opportunity and risk with scales tuned for a different place in life or a different circumstance. Or for a different us…
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.† ~ Helen Keller
