What About Risk?

Invariably, when I start talking about quantum leaps, right away people’s fears come up and they ask about risk.

That’s natural. Your subconscious mind is designed to keep you safe. It will tell you what the risks are, but you have to know that that information is largely rooted in lies.

My intention, today, is to completely reframe the way you think about risk. To turn the concept around so that it can truly serve you in your business and life.

Rules, Values and Risk

If you were raised in a working-class environment, like I was, or if you have worked a corporate job, you were likely taught a value system and set of rules, some of which don’t work for the entrepreneur or business owner. If you play by those rules, you will likely fail.

Some of those rules may include:

Don’t speak up.
Don’t speak out of turn.
Don’t self-promote.
Don’t make yourself too big.
Don’t let yourself be seen.
Don’t outshine others.
Don’t take the credit.

When you’re a business owner, you have to stand out from other businesses and trumpet your uniqueness. If you don’t, you’ll find it difficult to survive. If you were taught that self-promotion is wrong, then you need to consciously choose a new set of rules and values and be willing to take new kinds of risks.

Some of those new risks may include:

Feeling exposed.
Feeling judged.
Possibly stepping on someone’s toes.
Being more successful than your parents or spouse.
Possibly annoying someone with your marketing.

If that makes you uncomfortable, you have to ask yourself what’s more important: to never annoy anyone or to be successful? To never hurt someone’s feelings or to tell the truth? To never overshadow someone you love or to be the person you were meant to be?

The REAL Risk

You have to ask yourself those questions, because there is a graver risk at stake, and that is the risk you accept when you decide to live with the status quo.

When you do that, you risk never having an all-out, full life. You risk never living your dreams. You risk settling for only a fraction of what life has to give.

Are those really worth risking?

You Can’t Avoid Risk

The point is, you can never escape risk.

Whether you go for the quantum leap or follow your usual routine, something is always at stake.

You can’t avoid risk; all you can do is decide which risks to take.

Since that’s the case, why not choose those risks that have the potential to lead to the life you really want?

A New Set of Risks

Before I go on, let me clarify that, while quantum leaps do require you to move beyond your comfort zone, they do not require you to be reckless or impulsive.

Making a quantum leap is not gambling. It’s not a crapshoot. A quantum leap is moving on an opportunity you’ve been ignoring. It’s abandoning your excuses. It’s thinking about a problem in a new and brilliant way

I said before that I want to reframe your concept of risk. Here’s what I mean: I want you to start thinking about risk as a positive.

I want you to go out there and risk:

Believing in yourself.
Putting yourself all in the game.
Playing to win.
Succeeding beyond your wildest dreams.

I want you to risk discovering how great you really are.

Risk Opening Your Gifts

When you live your life with that kind of courage, from that burning fire of passion, you get to open your gifts. You surely have opened some of your gifts, but you have many more left untouched.

Here’s the wonderful secret about that — you don’t have to know what your gifts are in order to open them. They materialize as you reach for them. Did you hear me? All you have to do is reach.

Reach for the greatness that lies within you. Reach for the fullness that is your birthright.

Welcome the thrill in your belly that tells you you’re taking that risk.

Shine as you were meant to shine. Radiate your knowing of who you are.

Love, really love, your life. Be the person, the divine being, you really are.

“Just Believe”,

© Copyright 2010 – David Neagle’s Life Is Now Inc., All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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6 comments

  1. Heck yeah calculated risk is awesome!!! And you are so on the money with why so many people have aversions to it. Yet, so many people feel like they are suffocating in their own lives – even when things are going “pretty well.” It’s because they’re not honoring that part of themselves that is soooooo desperate to get out and shine – because doing so would go against all the rules.

    I say to heck with “their” rules, what are MY rules?! Seriously. We don’t HAVE to do anything anyone tells us, so looking at why we do can start to empower us because its US making those decisions (like I’d rather not get in a car accident at a red light, so I’m very willing to stop).

    This was a big lesson for me a little over a year ago. Since then I’ve quit corporate american to “find myself” and am living an unconventional life by my most of my family and friends standards – yet many of them want to know how I did it. Well, isn’t that the million dollar question? I’m working on a manifesto to share but in the meantime my personal website shows how awesome a life I’m living because I TOOK A CALCULATED RISK!

    What out world, Sara is in the house!!!

    • Look out is right Sara! I can feel your energy from here, and it is exhilarating. Calculated risk is nothing more than a decision to move forward…as I say repeatedly in my teachings that if you are not growing your dying.

      Thank you for sharing your story with us and we certainly look forward to what lies ahead for you!

  2. Good Morning David,

    You’re spot on! Thank you for writing in such a clear, uncomplicated’user friendly’ style!! As an Ontological Life Coach – fancy sounding word – my training is to help you become aware of how your thoughts, feelings and actions are shaped by your experiences and to truly notice how you’re showing up. History is always speaking through you and is filtered and colored by other peoples judgements that may or may not be true! As Les Brown said, ” Other peoples opinions of you do not have to be your reality!
    To help me stay focused and step into my greatness, I’m asking this question: If I were 10x bolder what would you do?

    • That is a fancy word Bobbi, thanks for sharing your thoughts here! You quote Les Brown well, and it is something that many ultimately people fail at. Other peoples opinions of you really don’t matter; what matters is that you are truly “being” every second of your life.

      So what I want to hear is the answer to YOUR own question: “If I were 10x bolder what would I do?” I look forward to your response!

  3. It’s been about 2 years ago that I had an inspiration to write a book and the path to accomplish that became clear. I have written a “Messenger Mini Book” with a group of spiritual authors (including Neale Donald Walsch)and have it printed. This in itself was a leap for me as I never thought of myself as an author and I have spent the last 2 years in uncharted terratory. It was a leap of faith. Of course now I have to get the message out into the world and I have a lot of fear that comes with that. Fear of success, rejection, failure, and embarassment. I want to be able to break through those fears and begin marketing my book and learn to coach others to do the same. I hope to see you in Orlando in November. Thank you for your inspirational guidance. I love the way you present the concepts that would be key to anyone’s success.

    • Thank you for the comments Barbara! And you will see me in Orlando in November…all it takes is a decision.

      It sounds as if you have come up against the “Terror Barrier”, which is a common place for many people in business for themselves. If you want to bring your big message to the masses you need to step through those so called fears and make decisions based on where you want to be. Only then will you receive what you wish.