Taking Risks
I'm going to share a secret with you: I'm not the craziest and wildest person out there.
Sure, I love trying new things. But I become skeptical. If it's dangerous, I would rather not do it. If I can die, I'll pass. If it'll make me wish I had never done it, I won't even try it.
I suppose this isn't a bad thing. After all, it keeps me from getting hurt, from taking dangerous risks, etc. But I've come to see that sown times, I can have my own kind of 'adventure' or new experience without making myself completely uncomfortable or unsafe.
Like last week. I actually drove a Segway for the first time in my life. I've seen those things on TV and always thought that it would be awesome to ride one, but when would I ever get that chance? Well, when I finally got the chance last week, I nearly backed out. I got onto the Segway and felt horrified. I was going to fl off, break my bones, and regret the decision.
But something inside of me told me that I had to give it a second chance. I had to try it for at lest ten minutes, in the safety of the trainer's supervision. And I did. I was scared, but not 'deadly scared'. After about fifteen minutes, I was okay. I could drive the Segway properly and I was having fun! Around me, however, were people who were riding their Segway super fast. They were doing tricks, speeding up, and riding around obstacles. This is where I drew the line. For me, even riding the Segway was a huge deal. And now that I was comfortable, I was happy. I was proud of myself. I didn't need to ride super fast or try doing flips of the Segway in order to have fun or challenge myself. This was good - actually, excellent! - for me.
I've come to realize that each person is different in the risks they can take, and this doesn't mean that I am less fun or brave than anyone else. Sometimes, society tells us that we always need to take huge risks to be 'cool'. Or, that by being safe, we aren't going to have fun. While I agree that being over-cautious and constantly worrying is crippling, I don't believe that we need to risk our safety to have fun or be adventurous. I also think that having good support around us encourages us to try new things and to feel comfortable doing so.
After all, we are all mature adults here. There is no benefit to making a silly decision in the name of 'fun', nor is there any purpose to tease others because they are scared to do a new activity. Each person is different. Part of growing up and maturing is knowing when we can challenge ourselves, and far we can push ourselves. When we, or others, pass this limit, we get uncomfortable and tense. But, when we can safely try something new and allow ourselves to make mistakes - in a safe environment - we can experience the power of learning and doing new things.
We may find that we really liked the new experience - like myself with the Segway. Or we may find that we hated it - and that's okay too. I have definitely learned that challenging myself, although difficult to do and follow-through, is an amazing experience when I feel safe, supported, and encouraged. I think we're all like this. Taking risks doesn't have to mean putting ourselves in danger, or doing something crazy and 'wild' in order to impress others. Take risks and try new things for yourself: to learn something, to try something new, and to have fun!
