Living a Good Story Means Risk

As you start this week, may you jump off that cliff into the water and the unknown.

I podcasted with my friend Stephanie from Melbourne, Australia earlier last week, and then when we hung up I read her recent post about worldschooling. Later that evening, I cracked open Walden, Thoreau’s account about his two-year gig as a 19th-century nonconformist.

And then I had to go and see Walter Mitty on date night with Kyle, which pretty much sealed the deal for me that this was the message I am to receive right now: risk, risk, risk. Risk is good. Risk means taking a chance, but on the off-chance you’ll succeed. (Even if it means you might fail.)

When I think about the stories I love, they’re usually about the protagonist moving from fear to freedom by way of stepping a bit into the unknown, when they finally decided the risk was worth it. It might mean choosing to look stupid, or being wrong, or falling flat on their face—but then they dust themselves off and risk again.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” –Anais Nin

What kind of risk do you need to take right now? Like, this week? Just like there’s never a perfect time to have kids, your ducks will never be lined up enough to warrant a perfect scenario for risk-taking. That’s what risk-taking is, in fact—looking at the odds and doing it anyway.

So whatever you’re contemplating right now… if it’s a risk, and it’s worth doing, then don’t delay. Go for it. Living unconventionally means swimming upstream, so don’t let a majority rule determine your decision. Do what’s best for you, whether that’s saying no to more stuff, yes to a big move, sure to a coffee date, or not right now to a request that’s just not right.

You can do it. We’ll all be right here, cheering you on.