Sunday, August 16, 2009

why play it safe?

According to a famous Moroccan proverb, “He who has nothing to die for, has nothing to live for”. Society is constantly being told to live a life without regret, to live for the moment, to never look back. Easier said than done, we all seem to embrace these sentiments, yet they are never followed through. We continue to accept situations as they are, to work with what we have rather than fight for what we want. We all know, that in life it is better to err on the side of adventure than play it safe, so why don’t we follow through?

Life is about growth, to be able to emotionally grow and mature is a rite every human-being is entitled to. When you live a life without adventure, you are unlikely to realise your full potential. By constantly playing it safe, you may live a decent life, you may be content to a certain extent, but you will never truly know what you are capable of. When you push the boundaries, ask things people long to hear but are to afraid to ask and always try to live a life that you can look back on without regret of opportunities missed, not only do you continually learn about human nature and the people around you, you also learn a great deal about yourself and your capabilities. It is only through recognising your own strengths and faults, and having the ability to accept and improve on them, that you will be able to blossom into adulthood.

A part of living life on the adventurous side is taking risks. Risk comes from the fear of the undecided and is something that will be avoided at all costs by anyone who wants to play it safe. However, taking risks often bears the greatest rewards. When you plunge head first into something with no idea on what the outcome will be, whether it’s a risky business enterprise or throwing yourself out of an aeroplane, every emotion is magnified. The exhilaration of taking the first step. The happiness in the realisation that you can achieve more than you thought you could. The feeling of fulfilment and pride in the knowledge that instead of following the path set out for you, you took a chance, and it paid off. To take a risk, is to take a chance in life, and in yourself.

High achievers are often the ones that take risks, this is what separates them from ‘ordinary folk’. Virgil wrote over 2,000 years ago that “Fortune sides with him who dares”. Good fortune doesn’t come to us, we are the ones that need to go to it through taking risks and making the most out of the only life we have. By leaving the security net behind, and deciding to face the fears we are constantly trapped behind, you are only strengthening your own inner resolve.

Yes, by living on the adventurous side of life you will be scared. Terrified, even. There will be times where you have no idea what is going to appear around the corner. There will be risk involved, and it will not always pay off. But aren’t all these things what make being a human so unique? We have the choice, and the opportunity to be whoever we want to be and do whatever we want to do. We only live once, so why just feel content? Or mediocre? When you play it safe, follow a plan, don’t occasionally take the gravel road, you will never truly know what it’s like to experience life.

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