Risk

The title alone is insanely attention getting isn't it? Risk. Risk takes a seemingly large amount of vulnerability, to give trust without knowing what to trust, or if this is wise. You risk being harmed, rejected, discarded, shit on, used, so forth, but you risk. People say that risk offers a reward, but for whom and what defines reward? The most rewarding part of taking a risk is procuring another life experience. The miserable part? Lots of pain. Here's the thing: Pain is probably one of the most important teachers, and unfortunately, what you learn could isolate you for the rest of your life. The trick is to keep putting yourself out there and take a risk. No matter how scary, do it. Since I've started the pattern of looking up words just to piss off the masses, and then add my two cents, here's the moment Merriam-Webster gets involved in our little excursion. Risk is "a situation involving exposure to danger," and, to sum up my point specifically, "a person or thing regarded as likely to turn out well or badly, as specified, in a particular context or respect." Every day is a risk! You wake up, get out of bed, and go to the bathroom...this is a risk. You could wake up blind, fall out of bed, and go to the bathroom on yourself, or WORSE!

You risk getting killed in one form or fashion every day. How about the risk of the heart? Risking your emotions? Risking being rejected. What about this? What if you have your heart at risk for years, your emotions at risk for years, and then ultimately being rejected? We risk because it's a vital part of life, and it's in everything we do. We risk to learn what is good and what isn't. We risk to experience life and learn important lessons we can take with us, perhaps be of assistance to another person going through something similar. We risk danger, we risk being hurt, we risk ourselves on some level every day. But to learn from the risks taken, to rejoice when the risk was worth it, this is the beautiful part of it all. Compassion and empathy are birthed from pain, then you understand when someone else is in pain, and you know how badly it sucked. Risk is vital to growth because, without taking risks, you do not really live. If you refuse to risk, what the hell are you still here for? What drives you? What meaning do you have to continue? (Props to Viktor Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning." I suggest giving that one a read and/or listen, it's brilliant!)