People who took big risks also won big. Unlike most, they did not believe that thinking big was going to led them to great frustrations, they were thinking about big profits.
The famous Swiss tennis player Roger Federer left school at age 16 to devote himself entirely to his passion, the sport he loved. If perhaps we knew someone who did the same as Roger Federer, we would advise him to do both things at the same time, we would tell to continue studying while attending their training; and certainly we would reject his decision to drop out, because
we tend to believe that the way of the majority is the same way we must follow: we must study to get a good job and THEN we will have what we have always wanted. However, it is not the case of many current billionaires,
as highlighted in this article.
We tend to believe that we need to keep everything stable: finances, studies, relationships and our personal lives. And maybe this quest for stability assures us some comfort in our lives, but it will not give us the satisfaction of fulfilling our dreams and do/be what we've always wanted.
If your dreams do not scare you, if you do not seem them as nearly impossible, you are simply dreaming of trifles and therefore you will never live the best life you can.
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The greatest opportunities of our lives are hidden in places that can only be discovered if we risk a little. |
A radical decision like Federer's is often frightening to most, but it was not for him. And at this point is that the great personalities differ from other mortals. Roger abandoned his studies -something that most people consider essential for success, or at least, education is thought to be one of the first fundamental steps to prevent failure- and saw himself in a very profitable situation for him:
he had nothing to lose, so he could just go ahead without looking back.
From the moment he left his studies, he created an unlimited strength and a powerful motivation.
He was going to devote all his energies, all his thoughts and all his efforts to something in which he firmly believed. He had a great self-confidence since the beginning and that allowed him to find the drive needed to pursue his dream with his whole being. Now, instead of being a poor, unsuccessful amateur athlete and uneducated, he is one of the best tennis players in history, or certainly, the best. In retrospect, the decision only accelerated the persecution of his true dreams.
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We will never reach the best things in life if we always cling to things
that are fixed and secure. We have to take risks and look for a better
future. |
If you are not willing to risk the unusual,
you will have to settle for the ordinary.
Jim Rohn
Risk as an opportunity to learn
Another advantage I'd rescue of risky situations and that is exemplified in "The Croods" has to do with the demands of a complicated situation. Throughout the film, the family faces tough decisions and problems that can only be overcome with intelligence and wit, usually represented in Guy's smart ideas, an adventurous and courageous boy, accustomed to the challenges of the environment. Guy is more evolved than the family of the cave, so
he is able to overcome the dangers thanks to his brainpower and creativity, something the cavemen Croods lack. However, it is precisely because of the dangers he had to face (instead of passively avoid) that he is the smartest
guy in the movie.
When we are facing a very difficult situation, that situation compel us to make use of our greatest acuity, imagination and/or energy to overcome the obstacles in front of us.
If we always avoided the hardest moments of our lives, we would never have the opportunity to make the best of ourselves. If you're in a cave, you do not need many ideas to survive.
Likewise, if you're in a situation that you are used to, progressively you will lose the sense of novelty and challenge, and eventually, you will begin to push yourself less, until you reach a point where you do not solve problems, you do not create anything new, you do not develop your talents and abilities. In this sense, when we take risks actually we are not risking the lose of something,
we are risking the gain of something. We always gain something, even though our failure of the main goal. We gain experience, ideas and maturity.
The risk is learning, it is not loss.
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Avoid repentance and commit yourself to not miss opportunities that come your way for fear of risking. |
I would like you to think about the great opportunities that you let pass because of your belief in staying safe and warm in your cave, because you did not risk losing something to win a little. Maybe you let pass a relationship, a job with better payment, a chance to study, etc. However, you don't need to go that far, perhaps in a class at your college or university you risked not to give your opinion, and bacause you stayed silent no one was able to recognize you as a witty or intelligent person.
So please now think about those times when you risked something. Maybe while playing soccer with friends you risked to make a spectacular play that aroused the admiration of all spectators or maybe at work you had an opinion that was very good received by your bosses. Why not risk more often, then?
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Remember that it is forbidden to give up, breathe deeply and keep going! |
Fear stifles our thinking and actions.
It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation.
I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure.
Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence,
and the downward spiral begins.
Charles Stanley
In what moments did you lost great opportunities because of your lack of courage?
Would you like to share an experience where you took risks that led you to a good result?
Have you watched "The Croods" and do want to share your own opinions about the film?
Your comments will be welcomed.