Back in 2010, I wrote in this blog about the skills that I wanted to achieve for myself: being street smart, being good at speaking and presenting, being good with people, and being creative. It’s funny because up to now, I’m still not good at talking and in presenting but I still try my best to overcome that.

Anyway, going back to my conversation with my friend, I also admitted that it does make me happy to be moving within a familiar space. I thrive in routines and sticking to the things that I know. My friend reassured me that it’s perfectly normal and is actually a phenomenon that comes with fatherhood.

Yes, that’s true. If I were single, I would’ve taken more risks not just in terms of job and career but also related to leisurely pursuits (as an example, I wanted to climb mountains before, believe me or not). Now that I’m a father, I have a family to think about and not just myself. Whatever I have is theirs. If I lose, we all lose.

On the other hand, I guess I’m not really born to be too much of a riskier. I can venture a little beyond the border, so to speak, but not too far. As proof, here is a story I wrote more than a decade ago in this blog. I took the post down a few months back but I’m resharing it again because it’s suddenly so relatable to me again.

***

April 4, 2010

They say you should, from time to time, move out of your comfort zone so that you'd know your true limit.

From as far as I could remember, I have never really been much of a risk-taker. My decisions are based on whether I could do something easily or if I would gain something out of it. In short, I would never do something unless I knew I was the "sure winner." 

Not really a good thing considering the many missed opportunities that might have turned out to be better if I only took a chance. I'm trying not to be regretful, but I guess that's inevitable especially if you knew the advantages are far weightier than the drawbacks.

Going further, I recall only two occasions when I decided to take a big risk. Number one was when I decided not to practice Geology and shift instead to Advertising/Marketing. I think there's no more need to expound on this. Doing something beyond what you studied for in school is a big risk, I guess.

Number two was deciding to transfer to a bank. I wasn't sure about the culture and how I was supposed to fit in there. Plus, of course, knowing the fact that not all people there would be able to accept you because of your background.

This was actually my first time to work in the corporate world. Looking back, however, I would say the ride was well worth it. I learned a lot from the people I met and I was able to do things that I only imagined doing. It wasn't really close to ideal but at least I was able to gain confidence out of that experience.

Having said this, I couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of where I'm headed next. Nevertheless, I am hoping that the destination would still be a good one. Not really ideal but at least real.

As Logan Pearsall Smith puts it "What is more mortifying than to feel you've missed the Plum for want of courage to shake the Tree?"

Start taking risks and start living your life well.

***

How about you, would you consider yourself a risk-taker? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Similar stories: