Worth the Risk

“Bet on yourself every time.”

Life is a matter of risk. I take chances day after day, hoping that the best possible outcome is my result. Having the understanding of the odds stacked against myself, I try to make sure that I end up on the winning side. I aim to ignore my fears knowing that they are only meant to distract me.

Due to my desire to be a winner in every area of my life, I am molding myself to conquer any challenge that comes my way. The factors that are attempting to hold me back from my excellence, I now view them as stepping stones. What once made me buckle under pressure, I see as opportunities to work on and grow stronger. I shifted my mind from being in survival mode to knowing I have to willingly sacrifice, giving all or nothing. I needed to sacrifice my complacency, excuses, negativity, distrust, fear, pride, and so much more.

There are many reasons I held back from sacrificing these things besides failure. With any level of risk, it is required to have a willingness to accept whatever happens, even if the ideal result does not come to pass. I am vulnerable. I am open to the critique of others especially when the topic of conversation is something they do not understand. Positioning myself to follow my heart and move with courage, knowing the judgment or disappointment that has the potential to follow.

As people, we pretend that we do not care what others think but that could not be further from the truth. Most of the decisions we make in life include the thought of how people will view us. From the way we think, to the way we speak, and the overall way we present ourselves, there is a level of influence from the world that we try to deny. And with that influence, we wonder if the choices we make will be acceptable to others. I used to operate as if this was not true, but then I thought about how the decisions I feared making stemmed from what I mentioned previously.

Self-determination has allowed me to be willing and ready to take risks because I now value my influence above all others. I respect that everyone has their own views and preferences, but I do my best to limit how they affect my decision making. I want to be free flowing and open to all possibilities that life has to offer me. Being open to all possibilities requires you to let go of ANY AND EVERYTHING that will close you off to any opportunities coming your way. I no longer silence the voice in my head that encourages me to take chances and explore my options. Viewing the glass half full as opposed to empty is not just a saying to me, it is a lifestyle.

While I can honestly say, my risk taking (and sometimes impulsive ) choices have landed me in hot water at times, I am grateful for these traits. I am grateful that I have the ability to believe in myself enough to know that no matter what happens, I will always win because of my outlook on life. A risk taker is a leader. A risk taker is a trailblazer. In this game of life, I rolled the dice and bet on myself every time.

I didn’t lose yet.