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Quote of the Day: Taking Risks
‘Come to the edge,’ he said.
‘We can’t, we’re afraid!’ they responded.
‘Come to the edge,’ he said.
‘We can’t, We will fall!’ they responded.
‘Come to the edge,’ he said.
And so they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.
― Guillaume Apollinaire
When it comes to making tough decisions, I have to admit that I sometimes have to be hit “upside the head” to move forward. Each time my husband and I talked about moving from one state to another, I had a bundle of excuses for staying where we were. Or when it came to learning to use a gun, I kept putting off my decision. But over time, I have learned that life can actually be much easier when we face it head-on; when we look at our options without fear; when we stop worrying irrationally about our physical wellbeing. And when we just jump.
I have loved this quotation by Guillaume Apollinaire for years. At a time when we may wonder if a Leftist is going to target us for our words or ideas, to make our life a living hell, I am regularly asking myself if I am prepared for the worst condemnation. I’m not paranoid about my writing, but I’m certain that there are plenty of people who would attack my criticisms and accusations.
But I choose not to let the possibility of disapproval by others be my concern. I have to speak what I know is true, and if others don’t like it, they will need to reckon with their own reactions. Their anger and frustration toward me are not my problem.
Life has presented me with numerous opportunities for risk-taking, but I’m not always willing to move forward. Sometimes my decision is made by a simple push from someone I trust for me to take that first step. Whether it was hiking in the Himalayas, learning to ski, starting my own consulting business, or co-authoring a book, I was buoyed up by someone who trusted me more than I trusted myself. Over time I came to trust my judgment more often, and found that even without that loving push, I could trust in myself.
And I could fly.
Please share a story of how someone gave you that push that made a difference in your life.
Published in Group Writing
That Rob Long guy talking about skin in the game.
Traveling “across the pond“ when my children were very young (and would be staying home with grandparents) seemed a bit too risky. My husband really wanted to travel to Europe and made all the arrangements. We toured art museums, ancient fortresses, and palaces, and thankfully returned unscathed. The experience was definitely enriching for us, and it was also good for our kids to enjoy time with extended family.
Intriguing! Could you tell us a little more, Arahant?
I’m sure that you and your family benefited tremendously from the lessons learned from this adventure. What a blessing!
I am congenitally opposed to risk. But after months of frustration trying to find a decent job after the first time I was laid off, I decided to try opening my own law practice. I could bring to the small business person a wealth of large company legal experience at a fraction of the cost of the big law firms.
The law practice was a business failure. I threw in the towel after a bit more than three years.
But (I learned only later) that my children (they were in late elementary school at the time) had absorbed much valuable practical information about the value of work, the importance of matching what a business does to what a customer wants, and the importance of getting paid for the work (and that getting paid doesn’t happen automatically).
After going back into another corporate job, I discovered that through the solo law firm experience I learned a lot more about how different businesses run, and so was better able to advise the corporate executives using principles and terms they understood. I was also better able to convey to the law department staff what the executives wanted from us.
So, getting shoved out in the layoff did not teach me I could fly as a solo law firm lawyer, it did teach me some other things.
I’ll say! And things you would never have learned in any other way. Now you’re an invaluable resource to your current firm. The lessons were painful but productive!
The quote sort of reminded me of something we always say among my rock climbing group. It isn’t the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop at the bottom.