How to Take More Risks – Start Small

How to Take More Risks – Start Small & Feel Proud

Risk Taking - Alexandra FriedmanWant to learn how to take more risks? Me too! Learn how reflecting on my childhood risk-taking inspired me to take more risks now.

In fact, this post was inspired by the soft-launch announcement of this website to my family and close friends.

I am not sure that I was ever quite prepared to announce my site, as I’m constantly editing detail pages one last time, or seeding content.

But on this random day in December, which happens to be Christmas, it seems like the perfect time to own up to the risk of taking my website to the next level, and announcing it loud and clear.

By announcing my site to my family and close friends, I am allowing myself the opportunity to clear out the announcement pressure I have created in my life, and make room for the new risk of taking this site, and my life, to the next level.

Remember The Risks You Used to Take?

If you reflect back to when you were younger, hopefully you can remember the little risks you used to take because you didn’t know better or you wanted to test the system. At some point, we got too nervous to push our boundaries like that anymore. Reflecting on some of those old-school risks might just remind you that it doesn’t have to be a life-changing risk or scary adventure to help you step out of your comfort zone.

In first grade I took a huge risk.

I marched outside to the playground, found a little white rock on the ground that resembled a baby molar that I had recently lost, and presented it in my tiny hands to the school librarian.

I showed her the tooth and then the hole in my mouth, and sure enough, she fell for it.

She wrote my name on a little yellow envelope and then carefully placed my fake molar in the envelope, and then hung the envelope proudly on a colorful “I lost a tooth this month” board in the library.

Imagine my surprise, when from that colorful board of names, the school picked one lucky toothless winner to win the grand prize, and that name was mine. I won a trip to the donut shop during school with three friends of my choice. Ironic, I know.

Owning up to The Risk

I do remember feeling a tad guilty about winning, but mostly I remember feeling proud of myself for sticking with my decision to take a risk that scared the crap out of me.

Sure, I could have been caught lying, but I wasn’t, and from this experience I learned that taking a risk doesn’t always mean I would feel comfortable doing it.

What did give me comfort however, was that I stepped up to the risk and owned it.

This first grade memory helped me realize that we can weigh the pros and cons of a potential risk over and over again, but until we internally choose to take on a risk, we are not ready for the challenges we might face in the process.

I might not win a trip to the donut shop with the risk I took to announce my website, and I swear, I did not find this website at the park across the street…But I do win the excitement of knowing that I feel vulnerable taking the risk of announcing my website. This is a risk that all of a sudden seems so easy to share because I’m proud of it, and I am willing to experience the lessons that are brought forth to me because of it.

Oh, and if it makes any difference…About me winning the tooth fairy contest in first grade…Karma got me back in cavities…Big time!!

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