COLUMN: The risk is worth it
I read a quotation recently that really spoke to me.
Some would say it was sappy, a "motivational" motif that people enjoy reading but never take to heart.
When I read this, something switched inside me. It was like a lightbulb came on. I had an "ah-ha!" moment, if you will.
As humans, we revel in security, conformity and the safety of a monotonous tomorrow.
But let's face it. This black and white lifestyle isn't satisfying.
When I think back on the things that have satisfied me most in my life, I think of the times I took risks. When I did something for myself. And when, despite the potential criticism, I went for what it was I desired anyway.
So many of us remain stagnant in our unhappy circumstances. But if we aren't happy in these circumstances, why don't we change them?
This is a simple concept, yes, but it can also be a simple action.
If you hate your job, look for something else. Something new will come. If your roommate is a negative, self-wallowing pessimist, cut the ties. You will meet others; people who will make you a better person, and people who will lift you up, not make you doubt yourself.
I'm not telling you to quit the only job you have that pays the rent. Hell, if you don't care enough to find something better, I'm not even asking you to consider finding something new.
And you might be lonely for a while. But being alone is better than being in bad company.
At the very least, it's something to think about.
I believe that everything happens for a reason, but I also believe that it is up to us to take action.
And now is the time to make things happen. Now is the time to do something extraordinary, to march boldly in the direction of where you want to be.
An excerpt from said quotation goes like this: "The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
Life is too short to be anything but happy. And it all starts with you.
Stop the bad habits, remove yourself from the things that make you sad and start involving yourself in the things that give you pride, that lift your spirits and make you hold your head high.
It won't be easy. Change is hard and it's scary. But it's also well worth the risk.
