20 Amazing Reasons To Take More Risks
Taking risks is scary. However, when you avoid taking risks, you rarely get the results you are after. In fact, playing it safe is often very risky business!
What is Risk?
Risk is perceived exposure to danger or loss, the perceived probability of something negative happening.
When you consider doing something risky what bubbles up for you?
- Fear of failure, the future, looking foolish, feeling vulnerable, feeling unsafe, or…?
- Uncertainty?
- Feeling out of control?
Logically, taking risks just doesn’t make sense, right?
Well, not every risk is worth not taking, yet some of the most successful people have seemingly taken ridiculous risks which led to big successes!
Risk Taker #1
It’s no secret that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple in the Jobs family garage after Jobs dropped out of college. This business was funded by the Jobs selling his Volkswagen bus and Wozniak selling his scientific calculator – a risk. They kept expenses low by hiring neighbor kids to help. Crazy, right? Risky, yes! And look how that played out!
Risk Taker #2
Before my husband started his own successful business, he worked for UPS and was in charge of their International Sales Training. His work was safe and seemingly financially secure. The benefits and retirement – all amazing! But it was also very demanding! The expectation was that you would continue to climb the ladder, which for him meant leaving behind the kind of work he thrived on.
Together, my husband and I began to pray about the possibility of leaving UPS and starting our own business so that he could focus on doing the work that brought him so much joy. It wasn’t the ideal time for such a risk. Our oldest was in college and we had two more right behind him. On paper, the choice to leave UPS made no sense.
After a year of seeking God, we both felt that God was leading us to step out and fully depend on Him in a way we didn’t have to while he was employed by UPS. We took the risk and stepped out in faith.
Nearly twenty years later, we are abundantly thankful that we took the risk! There have definitely been some big ups and downs, but getting to do work you love and having the flexibility to engage with family and do volunteer work that is meaningful to him – that’s priceless! And guess what, God has faithfully provided all along the way!
Risk Taker #3
Remember Noah and the risk he took? He spent 120 years working on a huge boat preparing for a flood. It’s important to keep in mind that up to that point there had never been rain or a flood! And the people around Noah had no interest in God.
Think about it…it’s not like Noah was able work on this boat project in secret – the boat was huge! So, the people around him must have been really scratching their heads. Why in the world would Noah spend such a long time constructing a boat for weather conditions that no one’s ever heard of? Did God really ask Noah to build a huge boat? Why would you listen to a God who would tell you to do something silly like that? Maybe Noah was a little loopy?
Noah chose to have faith, risk ridicule and looking foolish, and obey!
What if Noah had caved to the ridicule and given up on building a giant boat? Facing a flood without a big boat? Now that’s risky!
What enabled Noah take such a risk and keep at it for 120 years? His relationship with God. In Genesis 6:9 we learn that Noah walked faithfully with God. He knew what God was like first hand – loving, trustworthy, faithful, and so much more!
There’s something God has in mind for you to accomplish too. Whatever that is, it will involve risk and require you to depend on God!
You Are Already Taking Risks!
While there are a few extreme sport enthusiasts who like to live on the edge, most of us prefer safe over risky! We like to know the outcome before we jump in and pursue something.
Here’s what’s surprising: you are probably engaged in some pretty risky behaviors right now and don’t even realize it! Are you engaging in any of these risky behaviors?
- Not exercising
- Eating unhealthy food or consuming unhealthy drinks
- Avoiding doctor or dentist visits
- Refusing to forgive
- Procrastinating
- Making hasty or safe decisions
- Overworking
- Not getting enough sleep
- Ignoring self-care
- Not spending time with God
- Having negative thoughts/beliefs
- Gossiping
- Not dealing with issues
This is not an exhaustive list by any means. There are many, many risky ways to do life! And because you are probably engaging in one or two of the above it suggests you aren’t 100% adverse to risk!
If you’re going to fully walk in what God’s called you to do, like Noah did, I guarantee it will involve taking risks! The good news is that there are some motivating reasons to step out of your comfort zone, and take some risks
Taking risks…
- Allows you to conquer your fears and depend on God more
- Reduces your regrets
- Is an opportunity to be proactive
- Opens you up to new ideas and experiences
- Encourages growth
- Allows you to become more self-aware
- Develops new skills and abilities
- Increases your confidence
- Leads to positive changes
- Causes your doubts to dwindle as you see God working in your life
- Expands your potential
- Enables you to discover what you are made of
- Allows you to break through your self-imposed limits
- Challenges you to be more creative
- Makes you feel more alive
- Turns your ordinary life into an “extraordinary life”
- Cultivates good habits – setting goals and following through
- Makes realizing your goals/dreams possible
- Brings interesting people into your life
- Leads to better results
Taking on risk for risks sake – that’s foolish! Noah proceeded to build the ark after receiving specific instructions from God. When it comes to taking risks…
1. Start Small
You don’t begin weight lifting by doing bicep curls with 50-pound weights. You have to start with lighter weights and as your muscles develop, then you’re able to lift heavier weights.
The same is true with risk. Start taking small risks and as you develop your risk muscle, your capacity for taking on greater risk grows.
Speaking from experience, when I started out as a coach, I played it safe. When I began taking risks, my coaching practice really began to grow. And the more risks I took, the more comfortable I was.
What small risk has God put on your path?
2. Be Wise!
A risk worthy of taking is one that moves you closer to your goals or whatever God has for you to do. The risk will line up with your values and priorities in this season. And it will enable whoever God created you to be to shine and reflect God in powerful ways.
When considering a risk ask yourself…
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- What am I really afraid of?
- What would minimize the risk?
- If everything goes haywire – what’s the worst that can happen?
- What’s the cost of not taking the risk?
- How might I grow as a result to taking this risk?
- Where is God in this risk?
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3. Be Brave!
I want you to take more risks in your life. By trying new restaurants, inviting someone to coffee, or taking action on a goal that you’ve struggled to reach, you increase your tolerance for risk.
4. Be Persistent
Create a plan or strategy. It doesn’t have to be perfect because you can adjust it along the way based on what you are learning and discovering. It doesn’t hurt to explore how others have accomplished something similar, but remember you are unique and no one can achieve what you are after the way you can! Whatever you do, keep at it!
5. Seek Help
Without those walks with God, Noah might have given up along the way. That’s why you need to make connecting with God a priority too.
The more support the better! Who in your circle will you ask to check in and encourage you along the way?
Work with a coach! Someone who knows firsthand what it’s like to take risks and who will be there to help you navigate whatever you face along the way?
6. Expect Challenges
When taking a risk, you are stepping out into the unknown. That’s challenging! Along the way you are sure to encounter challenges and circumstances you never anticipated.
You will be forced to take more risks. Don’t let that stop you! It’s an invitation to grow! It’s a step closer to where you want to be!
You may have dozens of reasons for avoiding risk, but you just need one GREAT reason for taking a risk!
What’s one risk you will to take today?
What’s that thing that God has been nudging you to do that you’ve been ignoring, avoiding, or pretending you didn’t hear?
