Trying out something new when the results are largely unknown is the very definition of taking a risk. It would seem the words ‘new’ and ‘unknown’ strike a fear so deep in our hearts, that even when the reward is astronomical, the overwhelming majority would rather stand pat. Some statistics show that 96% of the population would not take a risk even when many crucial factors are already KNOWN. And to add fuel to the fire, countless studies have shown that people who take calculated risks have greater opportunities and have greater success BECAUSE they take risks. And yet here we are.
Before we get to ‘what are you so afraid of’, we need to back the truck up to, ‘why can’t you see the golden opportunity in front your nose’ and your relationship with failure.
Believe it or not, countless opportunities are placed before us each and every day, and yet we fail to recognize them. Maybe it is pre-programming, that is, how you are ‘wired’ to discount the opportunity, or your bias (cameras in phones, didn’t see that one coming.) It could simply be that a lack of insight or a lack of education prevents you from recognizing the opportunity; you just didn’t see it, because you didn’t understand it. Or, worst of all, you see it, but FEAR IS HOLDING YOU BACK from acting on it.
So, what are you so afraid of? Failure? Consequences? Or worse, success?
The next time you see someone who has had a great deal of success, before you attribute that success to luck or timing, let’s instead consider their ability to take a risk. Maybe they didn’t have a guaranteed outcome. Maybe many variables were unknown to them. Maybe they failed numerous times, learned something, then picked themselves back up to try again. Maybe they simply did more work and put countless hours and herculean efforts into managing their risks. Maybe, just maybe, they truly wanted to be successful, and were willing to do whatever it took, to risk everything for that success. Let’s think about that the next time we’re tempted to disparage the “successful 1%”.
