The Ledge

There are moments in life all around us which define us. Moments where we are forced to make choices, usually difficult ones. They aren't easy because they require us to define who we are, what we want, and what we are willing to risk. In business we often talk about the risk to reward trade off. The more you are willing to risk the greater the potential reward. Of course there is the chance you loose it all, and that is why we call it a risk. The greater the risk-reward ratio, the more you can potentially gain, but the greater the probability you loose it all. As I think about life and the decisions we are forced to make many of them follow this same school of thought. The greatest risk-reward ratio is the one that involves matters of the heart. The thing about life is no one can make the difficult decisions for you. No matter how hard we try we just can't make people do things, they either want to or they don't. Some people are risk-averse, they avoid it all costs and only choose to go down paths where the outcome is certain. Others are risk seekers, fearless and willing to take a chance on almost anything, knowing that they are sure to fail many times along the road.

I am a risk seeker in all aspects of life. Failing doesn't scare me. I think in life we learn the most from our weakest moments, from the times that challenge us the most. For in these moments we are forced to define ourselves. Who am I? What are my values? What do I REALLY want? I know what I want and I will go after it time and time again. I embrace the heartaches of defeat and of losing everything because I believe that one day all those challenges, all those bumpy roads will lead to pure happiness. I believe that the most difficult moments in my life make the good moments that much more wonderful. I often talk about the way I view love and risking your heart. Anyone who knows me knows that I wear my heart on my sleeve. Some people teeter on the edge of falling in love and are just too scared to take that leap of faith. Me... well, its safe to say I take about four steps back then go running, take a huge leap over the edge, throw in a few back flips and well, lets hope I learn to fly, and quickly. Sure I've slammed into the ground broken into a million little pieces, but I've always put myself back together, each time a bit stronger and a bit better of a person that the time before.

So what happens then when a risk seeker meet someone who is risk averse. One person wants to go flying over the edge, the other just can't seem to get over the hump. I've said it and I'll say it again, you just can't force people to do things, no matter how hard you try. The risk seeker can't push the risk averse over the edge... that's just not how life works. You can tell them to have a little faith until you are blue in the face but that won't work either. At some point the risk averse has to make a choice, take the leap or don't. The cool thing is, unlike the business world, in matters of the heart you don't have to do it alone. You get to take that risk with someone else. Kinda cool if you ask me. So you risk averse people out there, have a little faith, take a risk, yes you may loose a lot, but I promise you, you risk a whole heckofa lot more if you risk nothing. Don't let a great opportunity pass you by because you were too scared to put your heart out there. Grab the hand extended to you, close your eyes, and enjoy the fall...

...I will catch you.

<3 T