What makes you nervous but excited? The type of nerves that feel like butterflies in your stomach, but the good kind. When was the last time you felt the need to leap out and not think, but just do? The culture we live in today does not promote the values of risk; instead, it fosters a feeling of security and comfort. Security in our society is defined as being financially stable, having a routine, and being comfortable in our day-to-day life. Now, all of those things are good to have and contribute to a stable life. But let me challenge you in this blog post: In what area of your life do you feel stuck, deep down in your core being? Where do you feel stagnant in your growth? If you were to change something about your life, would it feel like a risk?

When I was a teenager, I worked with a life coach for three years during high school. The work I did with the coach moved me from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, transforming the way I lived. Looking back on my life, the significant events that have defined my path and shaped who I am today were the moments when I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a risk. One of those moments in the two years was leaving my well-paying engineering job to travel the world by myself for one year. This felt like the biggest risk I had ever taken in my life. I experienced doubt about this trip because I did not know how it would go or work out in the end. It felt like I had to close my eyes and step off a cliff into the unknown. And that is the thing about taking a risk versus being in security. When we take a risk, we truly do not know the outcome, we do not have the answers, and we do not know what the future holds. It brings us into the present moment and fills us with the excitement of adventure. It also shows us how capable we are in dealing with whatever comes our way, and through that process, we grow.

Risks take different forms; small risks could be as simple as taking action and talking to a teacher and asking for help. A bigger risk could be setting a goal or being vulnerable in a relationship. But as soon as you take the step into the unknown, it could feel like you're risking a lot. However, my question to you is: What do you have to lose? What do you have to gain? And what can you learn about yourself in the process of taking a risk? The answers are limitless.