Feb
21

Worth the Risk? (Day #28)

Posted in: Neither Here Nor There, Thinking Big

This post from my latest blog discovery, Life in Pencil, has me thinking about my decision to leap from stability to instability two years ago, when I left my law firm job to pursue a writing career.  Anne asks whether passion equals risk, and – even better – whether passion necessitates risk.

My answer is yes.  I believe that passion – or, at least, the active pursuit of it – necessitates risk.  Commands it, even.  Not because I think every passion requires its pursuer to make some big, sweeping life change, because I don’t. Rather, I think that the decision to pursue a passion – whether that means walking away from a cushy job or simply stepping outside your comfort zone – changes the stakes of the game.  In choosing to prioritize passion, we declare our commitment to do whatever it takes.

We all have different levels of risk tolerance.  Some people avoid it.  Others are drawn to it.  Most of us fall somewhere in between.

I’ve found that I have a pretty high tolerance for risk.  In fact, I find risk comforting.  Calming, even.  There is a clarity of thought that comes with risk-taking.  Life comes into hyperfocus.  We know what we stand to lose and what we stand to gain.  Not precisely, of course.  But enough to know that we’d better bring our A-game.

At least, that’s what I think.  What do you think?

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