Taking Risks on National Take a Chance Day

Today is National Take a Chance Day. Who knew?!? The timing is pretty appropriate for me because I feel like I’ve been taking TONS of chances and leaps of faith lately.

Prior to FBC (f-bomb breast cancer), I never considered myself a chance taker. Now certainly, I’ve had a windy and wonky career path, from Ralph Lauren to pediatric hospice, but I never really considered my decision making to be an indication that I was inclined to take chances.

After FBC, however, I seem to be all about taking chances and doing things that I’ve never imagined doing before. Wowsy bowsy. I could never have imagined that I would be doing what I’m doing today.

To me, taking chances (or risks) refers to doing things that most people would consider to be out of the ordinary. In other words, putting yourself in an uncomfortable position in order to create change – sometimes epic change – in your life.

Here’s the thing: I’ve found that taking chances brings about the potential for beautiful, wondrous and exciting change in my life. There are many people who prefer the status quo and avoid change at all costs. However, as Price Pritchett said:

Change always comes bearing gifts

Now it’s not to say that taking chances is easy. Not at all. In fact, every time take a chance – a leap of faith,if you will – my nerve bugs rear their anxiety-producing heads. What I am learning (slowly but surely) is that anxiety is always far worse than reality. Even though in taking a chance on the unknown, I am faced with the potential of failure, I find that it is better than not taking any chances at all and living life with regret.  There is something about having had chemo that makes the idea of regret far worse than the potential for failure.

When it comes to taking risks, here are some of the things that I do to inspire and motivate myself:

1. Start small. You will notice that the more risks you take, the easier and more fun it becomes.
2. Don’t over-analyze. If I allow my mind to get in the way of making a decision, then I find myself in a rigorous game of mental racquetball and it’s NOT fun!  There are times when it is possible to think too much!
3. Face the potential for failure and learn from mistakes. Thomas Edison is a great example of the power of failure to create great success. When asked about the number of failures that he incurred while trying to develop the lightbulb, he replied, ”I now know of over 9000 ways in which the lightbulb won’t work”.
4. Be confident.  Get rid of that nonsensical voice in your head that says, “I can’t.” First of all, that voice is just plain WRONG. Secondly, if you change the language to say, “I can,” then you will change your behavior.
5. Find the Silver Linings, of course. The Silver Linings will provide the balance and perspective to get you through anything and everything!