Why Risk Taking Is Important

Happy Monday!

My entire life, I have always played it safe. Now, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing because I’ve never gotten myself into a situation where I was thinking “oh shit, I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this.” However, there’s a difference between stepping outside your comfort zone and surpassing it so far that you’ve dug yourself into a deep ditch.

Lately I’ve been thinking that I need to take more risks in my life. This mindset really came about when I started riding. When I first learned to canter I was actually pretty scared. It’s one step away from taking your horse to it’s biggest stride, allowing it to go very fast. Going fast on an animal that large can be very intimidating, especially when you’re new. It wasn’t until I watched a ton of videos of professional riders and watching people ride at the barn that I thought “wow, this could be really fun if I just RELAX!” I realized that I had to take the risk in going faster if I ever wanted to further my riding career. Now, I love cantering! I still have days where I struggle with this but I’m in a much better place than I was before.

When I was at the horse show on Saturday this vision became even clearer. When I saw all of the riders around me competing at their absolute best, I couldn’t help but think: “wow, I want to do all of that on my own horse, as soon as possible.” I’m one of those people who don’t like to wait to get to the next level. I’ve always been like that. Part of it is impatience (ha!) and part of it is determination. Then I thought, if this is what I want with all my heart, then I need to start taking some bigger risks in my life in order to make it happen. I’ve never been one to like change, however, I now know that there will never be the right time for anything. If you keep waiting for the right time for something to happen, it’ll either be gone because you waited too long, or you’ll stay stuck where you are because you’re too afraid to take the risk.

I shared this today because I want to encourage all of you to take a risk that you’ve been holding back on for whatever amount of time. Whether it be putting yourself out there to be in a relationship, moving to a new city where you don’t know anyone, taking a new job, etc. I’m challenging you because I’m also challenging myself. I want to support your goals and would love for all of us to hold each other accountable. Having this support is sometimes the only thing you need to just go for it.

So, what is a risk you’ve been nervous to take? I would love to hear in the comments below and be your support system!