Magic Words
Gambling has gotten a bad name. Just like the word “discrimination” has come to mean racism; gambling has become synonymous with losing the family grocery money at the craps game.
Every fork in the road is a gamble. Like the old joke goes, “When you get to a fork in the road, take one.”
Gambling is part of life. It’s called risk.
What are the odds of winning without risk? – South of slim.
If you are gambling your money away in the hopes of winning your self-esteem, you are in deep smelly stuff and need intervention NOW!
Conversely, if you are refusing to risk, it’s a bad bet as well. We re-label this behavior as “playing it safe.”
There is no juice generated by the safe spot known as inertia. The jumpstart is risk. Reminds me of a story . . .
My mother was a waitress and I remember that each day she would head off to her job with just enough money in her purse for the subway ride to work. I remember asking, “Isn’t that a bit risky?” She just casually said, “Now, I have to make money.”
It was a combination of risk and trust.
It seems that’s the necessary combination for moving forward. There is a chance it could move you backward, but not as big as the silent risk you take by becoming stationary. That’s a guarantee that you will not grow. In fact, it’s a surefire formula for atrophy.
The next time you are out driving, take a look at the names on the commercial trucks and vans that pass you by. Each one of those businesses at one time took a risk.
If you think risk is for other people, you’ll spend your whole life attempting to drive the car from the passenger seat. You’ll have all the maps and GPS settings but no gas pedal.
Answer this question: What are you unwilling to risk? When you get that answer, you have found your roadblock.
It’s a good bet that the answer to your question is a mental image of yourself – one that you’re unwilling to risk.
It’s just an image that you made up and you can just as easily make up another with a bit of trust. Eventually you’re going to have to trust someone in order to risk; maybe that someone should be you.
Some people need to get into the water a toe at a time while others take the plunge. Both methods will get you the same result. Risking is what gets you to the water’s edge. Trust is what gets you to learn how to swim which reminds me of another story . . .
Many years ago when my youngest son was learning to swim, his instructor said to him, “Remember the magic words – reach and pull.”
The magic words to move forward in life are “risk and trust.”
I’m betting on you!
All the best,
John
http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnmorgan
http://www.cafepress.com/grasshoppernote/3580301
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