Helen Keller wrote the life is either a daring adventure or nothing!

My grandfather firmly believed, and taught me, that me to take the mighty risks! He always had the courage to challenge uncertainty I still live by this principle, even recently changing companies to one that offered me greater opportunity and a leading role in the company. Was it scary?  Yes!  Was it worth it?  Most definitely!

Charlie believed in the old adage, “No risk, no reward.”  You see, we are all being constantly presented with personal and professional opportunities, but those opportunities are only meaningful if we take advantage of them in a timely way. We are all presented multiple times in our lives with opportunities – even the ‘big brass ring’ – but those are most often time-sensitive and don’t stick around if we don’t grab them with both hands. Opportunities are looking for a ‘home’ and if we don’t act, it is guaranteed that someone else will. 

But risk offers us other opportunities as well – the opportunity to become more resilient and confident. Taking a risk can increase your changes of achieving future goals. Be clear:  These are risks that will help you achieve a goal, not decisions that are foolhardy and even unsafe. 

When you are presented with an opportunity, your initial feelings about it are generally the right ones. Too often we think and overthink the gifts life is serving up to us, and then completely miss out on what we were being offeredI. Taking a risk in order to seize an opportunity is like building muscles at the gym – the more often you use those muscles, the stronger they become. Look for opportunities to take small risks to increase your level of comfort with risk overall, so that when the big ones come along, you will be ready. 

Taking a risk also alleviates later feelings of regret.  You won’t sit back later, wondering ‘what if’ if you did take a risk, no matter how it turned out. This is why risk takers are generally happier in their lives. They are also generally more successful.  They have risked failing in order to achieve success or to learn from the experience.  They don’t dream of what of might have been – they already have the answer to their question. And taking a risk to pursue on opportunity often opens doors to other and unseen opportunities just waiting for you to show up for them. 

My grandfather didn’t advocate for foolish risks – when taking advantage of an opportunity that included some risk, he would do his ‘homework’ around what he needed to learn or do or change or pursue in order to fully turn his act of risk into an outcome of reward. He would enter into the project or process well-armed with what he needed to know or do. In other words, taking a risk doesn’t mean taking a blind risk. 

To live is always an adventure, so take mighty risks. You mustbe willing to risk and dare if you are to maximize your success. Take your best shot!