Why We Should Start Taking Chances in Life

“If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained.”

― Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

Every time an open door stands before us, we are in fact facing the hands of fate that allow us to be closer to the path that leads to our dreams. However, there comes a risk. Is this the door that’s right or is this the opposite that will bring me further away? Going outside of your comfort zone, letting your instincts take the lead, that’s how many of life’s greatest achievements are born. Along with the experience, there will be risks, let it be letting go of your well-earned money and have it invested into a new venture or just plainly putting yourself out there.

Let’s go back further down the memory lane, back to when we are just children. As a child, we are always curious about everything. Every little thing that catches our eyes. We will always be pondered and easily amazed how did it come to be, why is it there, what does it do. Our minds are very much open to the million possibilities of the world. Our minds then changed when we grew older. We started to learn about the risks in life, the ones we have now and the ones we are going to face in the future. There is always fear and uncertainty as we are making a big decision. That’s when you and I wanted our life to be secured, to have a safer path, to protect ourselves from the failures and shame in life. We chose the safer road, rather than taking risks. Doing that caused us many moments that could have been the highlight of our lives, letting go of the light that brings happiness and joy. Deep down, we all know that nothing truly good is safe or easy. If you lead an easy life, you will never get to experience the wonderful feeling when embracing risks allows you to have an extraordinary life.

How can we be extraordinary when we choose to be plain and simple? If others didn’t do it, it doesn’t mean we can’t take a leap of faith and try it out. Keeping ourselves to live through a life that’s by the book, doing what we are told to do, will we ever be happy? Our life exists because of us, it turns out the way it is because we are the ones living it. We can always do better. Why shouldn’t we? We can only live our lives in this lifetime once. We have one chance to make every day of our lives the very best ones. There is no such thing as being perfect, having the perfect job, or living a perfect life. If we always look for perfection in the mirror, we will never see it, we will always find flaws and those flaws will say you are not good enough. Fear is the by-product of the mind. It made us run away from the risks and see it as a wall that stands between us and the road to great things. But there’s something we tend to forget when it comes to fear, there is courage too. Once we started to let ourselves feel the fears or doubts we have facing the risks, we will have the courage to see it through. Every time we conquered our fears, we grew stronger and happier than the person we were yesterday. Failures don’t mean we don’t have the strength to pass through onto the next round, failures just mean that we can have a better chance next time. The risks of failure are seen to be the ones that stop us from doing things but try to see it from a different perspective, a challenge is also an opportunity for us to be pushed through the edge of what we thought could go wrong. It poses as a chance for us to be made into a better version of ourselves. The bigger the stakes are, the higher the win.

“Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson, with Annotations - 1841-1844

The choices are ours to make, either you can be on the side-lines, not taking any chances, doing any changes or you can get out of your comfort zones and live. What is the worst that could have happened? We don’t have to jump straight ahead, but what we can do is take one small step at the time. Do simple things that are out of your usual routine. It can be as simple as trying out a new sport or learn a new skill. Whatever you feel like doing, why don’t you let go of your doubts and have it a go? There is always tomorrow if it didn’t work out today.

Have faith, you will get there someday.

Rather than having a boring normal life, wouldn’t you want to take your chances and see if this leads to the happiness you always dreamed of?

“There is a strange comfort in knowing that no matter what happens today, the Sun will rise again tomorrow.”

― Aaron Lauritsen, 100 Days Drive: The Great North American Road Trip