risk –noun
exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance: It's not worth the risk.
Fear is based upon risk. People fear doing things because they risk emotional or physical pain. Fear binds them.
However, good things seem to come from pain or struggle. A person who has knots in his or her back has to undergo an intense massage that will primarily cause pain. After this painful massage, the person's back will be loosened and the pain will be eased. This person had to submit themselves to pain before they could experience release.
"Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept." ~Saint Francis de Sales
A lot of poop happens in the world. Yes, poop. Struggles come in all forms. It's difficult and these problems seem to last forever. Yet, they help us grow. One of these days, we'll look back at that poop that happened in our lives and we'll be shocked to see a flower blooming in the midst of the poop.
Risk: going to another country, driving a car, taking a breath, going to college, making friends, loving, living, eating...Risk is Life. Life is risk. They are inseparable.
Once in a conversation with my dad about relationships and love, we talked about risk. He told me, "When I married your mother, I thought I loved her as much as I ever could. I was wrong. I love her more today than I ever thought was possible."
I think loving is a risk. Sometimes, I wonder if loving is a risk that is worth taking. My dad obviously votes yes.
The thing about risk is that it is so uncertain and so ambiguously full of 'what if' circumstances. There are a million things that could occur. There is nothing to trust. No one can tell you that your risk will turn out well. No one can tell you it won't hurt. No one can promise you perfection.
The promise of risk is loss. Even if your risk was worth it, you will lose something. Something will change within yourself. It might seem to be a bit of an abstract thought, but a risk results in growth. Growth builds off of old thoughts and discards others.
Risk demands surrender of self. It means letting go of the 'what if' moments and leaping for all you're worth. Don't hop. LEAP. Commit to the unknown and embrace it. Perhaps, you'll impale yourself upon a thorn. However, you may look up and see that the thorn is attached to a rose. That rose bloom won't ease the pain, but it will be a part of the growth.
Without risk, life would not be worth living. There would be no thrill. A life without risk would be easy, but this life of ennui is unfulfilling. A life risked wisely is a life lived and learned.
