I'm certainly not one to be risk-averse. Chris and I decided to move from Texas to Maryland, where we knew nobody to start completely over - new state, new apartment (rented site-unseen), new friends, new jobs... A year later came a first baby.... A few years later, I started a business; Chris started a business.... I quit a business to start another.... Nope. No aversion to risk here. So risk (I think of it as the impetus to change) is a good thing for us.
I remember when Chris' company closed their Maryland location, and everyone was laid off. We had plans to start finishing our basement two days after the lay-off, and we had friends scheduled to come over to kick it off. We deliberated, and decided to go ahead with the basement project. We thought that it would give Chris something to do during his lay-off as he figured out what to do with his life, and, heck, it would raise the value of the house if we needed to sell. :-)
One of my friends who hasn't taken a risk in all the years I've known her made a point of saying, "My husband would never start a project like the basement if he had just gotten laid off." She said this on two different occasions, so it must have really bothered her that we were taking this risk. Sure, it was a risk, but if we had waited for the "right" time, it would never have gotten done, and now it's done, and we have a beautiful basement, with office space for Chris, a whole sewing/crafts area for me, and a playroom for our girls.
Risk is good for me!
In Making a Difference, Hanna Cooper goes deeper into the subject of risk, and specifically she asks:
What's worth risking?
I think everything is worth risking, especially when the end result is happiness, utter fulfillment, and deep connections. What wouldn't you do (on the right side of the law) to achieve those goals? If I ever have to make a choice between status quo and change, I'll go for change every time - because I think that change is going to get me closer to that place of happiness, fulfillment, and love. Taking no risks keeps me right where I am.
What would it mean to not care about the opinions of others?
It might mean that I don't get in the way of my own success. If I'm the only judge of my actions, then I'm free to make mistakes, take those risks, and achieve that dream goal. The problem, I think, is not when we don't care about the opinions of the general masses, but caring about what those close to us will think. We want our loved ones to be proud of us and to respect us. Gosh, what if we turn out not to be perfect?
What's the hardest thing on earth for you?
To let go of control. Control is how I survived life, and it's how I learned to achieve. While sometimes being in control can serve me well, I'm finding that it's getting in the way more often than not.
What would it mean for you to act for yourself?
This one doesn't seem to have a big impact for me. 2006 has been the Year of the Dawn, from getting surgeries to make me healthier (tonsillectomy, correcting adult exotropia) to closing my virtual assistance practice. I have had no problem acting for myself - other than the occasional emotional outburst. :-)
What would it mean to you to face the truth?
Interesting question. I'm reading a book called Are You Ready To Succeed, and it talks about how the reality we are living is ONE reality - one of many. Dr. Rao's belief is that we can create our own realities. Just as one can go from disliking sports to becoming a rabid football fan, one can decide to change his/her mental models and change his/her life. So for me, to face the truth means to face those mental models that are gumming up my reality (I must be perfect, I must produce the best quality work, I must be an exceptional mother, I must not fail in my new venture....), and create my own reality - my own truth.
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