It has recently come to my attention that a great majority of people (here at the great U of C) don’t really know what they want. I thought that I escaped the “logical next step” thought process after my first year here, but it’s just become more prevalent, both in my life and the lives of others.
What’s more, a lot of people here are either too afraid or too busy to go after what they want. To be fair, some of them do have legitimate concerns – most students have a really heavy course load and literally can’t squeeze anymore free time out of their schedules. But even then, when I ask these busy people if they’ve even tried to fit their passions in, they reply that they haven’t. Come on, to not even try? Stop accepting assumptions and start challenging them. It’s amazing the things that can happen when you do.
It takes honest effort to get where you want to be, and that’s something that I can’t stress enough. I get that it’s hard – I KNOW that it’s hard. For some reason, I feel that I get distracted all the time when I study; as if I can’t concentrate on anything long enough to learn it effectively. But when you really want something, you must be willing to sacrifice other things that aren’t as important.
That’s why I’m here writing instead of having a fairly decent time drinking with my friends. It’s possible that they could be having a blast or they could be doing absolutely nothing of interest. I’ll never know now. It’s a pretty high risk of missing out by writing on the blog, I’d say. However, with high risk comes high reward. I’m putting everything I’ve got into my passion, because engaging in my passion is what makes me happy and ultimately brings some sort of goodness to the lives of others. I may not be having college-type fun, but I certainly don’t regret it.
With great risk comes even greater reward
I highly advise you to take the greatest risks you can possibly think of. Playing it safe is easy and predictable, therefore the reward is low. Taking chances, challenging social stigmas, and being curious is high risk, but the rewards are well worth it. The rules you may have created in your head (socialize instead of learning something interesting on Friday nights, have a clean cut shave instead of a beard, graduate from college to be successful, wear similar fashions as the rest) don’t apply to those willing to take risks. If you have an idea, make it known to those you trust and make a move. Let the naysayers say nay, and permit the doubters to doubt. In the end, it is only your opinion that matters the most.
I’ve made high risk failures and mistakes my entire life, but I don’t regret ever making them. From those failures, I learn lessons. From those lessons, I teach others. When I teach others, they apply the same knowledge to their own lives. However, we may not always achieve the greatest reward by following the path of greatest risk; you must always remember this. Still, don’t think just because you’ll fail, you’ll keep failing. The strength of the individuals who reach their desires is in their short attention span for high risk. It is the reward at the end that counts, and it is what most people are too blind to see through towards. The moment you lose sight of your goals, the obstacles become clear.
The time is now
Are you ready? Seize the chance to grasp your reward. Work your body until it aches, and the mind until it numbs. Risk may cloud the minds of the fearful and weak-hearted, but reward is the fuel for those of a strong will. Dangerous it may be, but onward, you march.
photo credit: papalars
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25 comments to “High Risk, High Reward”
Two quotes I really like in this post,
“But when you really want something, you must be willing to sacrifice other things that aren’t as important.
And,
“The moment you lose sight of your goals, the obstacles become clear.”
Love the ending, too. Solid.
Bamboo Forest – PunIntended´s last blog ..How to Live the Life You Want to Live
Nice. I put a lot into this one my friend. I myself am taking risks to change myself and my life.
this is an encouraging post, thanks
You’re welcome
Great points. I really do think that we should be devoting a lot of our energy and focus to figuring out what we really want. The answers may not always come right away, but the only way to ever begin to gain some clarity is invest time in trying to figure it out. After you have discovered what you really want and it just feels right, you really do have to be willing to go for it. You have to put all you have into what you desire. And, as you said, that means prioritizing it over other things in your life and possibly giving up some of them from time to time. Thanks for the inspirational post.
Sibyl – alternaview´s last blog ..How to Motivate Yourself to do those things you don’t want to do…but know you should
The main issue with going after what we desire, is effort. A lot of people just don’t want to put in the time and effort to find and obtain their passions. We have to understand that life isn’t easy, so making it a bit easier by avoiding the effort only hurts in the long run. If you really want ANYTHING you have to go for it. I’m coming to realize this as we speak. Nothing is easy, but nearly everything can be obtained through hard work.
Yes, great realization. Most people in college, and possibly beyond, don’t really know what they want. I know I didn’t know in college. I changed majors three times, and ended up working full time in the career I decided on before even finishing college. I went on to finish with a liberal studies degree because nothing else really fit.
Now, I’ve found myself in a career that I like, but there are still other things I’d rather be doing, or at least to try. I’m slowly working some of those in.
I wonder if it’s best to take those risks early in life. The risks are even greater for me now. Since I have a wife and daughter any risk I take also affect them. There is still room for risk taking I suppose, but it’s no longer a decision I can make on my own, it is now a group decision. Of course, that does give me a circle of those I trust, so I guess there are built in benefits as well.
Eric | Eden Journal´s last blog ..Valentine’s Day Should Not be an Apology; It Should be an Expression of Love
True, having a family does limit the risks you can take, but I advise you not to completely hold back just because they’re in your life. Like you said it’s a group decision. That means everyone has to be happy. I know that they are behind you 100% in everything you do. So no worries on them not supporting your desires.
On another note, I switched majors twice once so far. Hopefully, I stay on track long enough to graduate on time.
I’m not exactly sure about what I want, although it could be summarized with the word freedom. Still, in my experience, is by taking risk that I achieved the best things I have.
Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..How to deal with Criticism in Writing
Not sure what your second sentence is saying, but freedom to go after your desires is paramount to achieving them.
Hi John, that’s great and I totally agree. If you can stand the risk, you’ll eventually get the reward.
Stephen – Rat Race Trap´s last blog ..Some More Books You Might Enjoy
That’s what I’m talking about. High risk, high reward; have this phrase constantly in your mind.
Thanks for sharing this, what an inspiring post. Taking a huge risk can pay off if you know what you want. To do this, know what you value in life first. This will help you figure out things that you need to do in order to achieve your goal.
Hey Linda, welcome to my blog.
Let your values in life become the foundations for the desires you strive for. It’s really as simple as that.
I like the motto ” scared money don’t make money”.
You got to be willing to risk it all for your dream. We all have dreams or a passion which inspires us to move into the ranks of the elite thinkers of society. You can live a life of prestige and success if you let go of fear and embrace change.
I wished they taught courage 101 back in my days in Stony brook university. That would do been fun.
Jonathan Figaro´s last blog ..You Don’t Need Time To Yourself
Good motto.
I’ve tweeted this but the happiest and most influential people all cultivate irrational self confidence. They don’t see the obstacles in their path, but the end that awaits their risk-taking effort. Be like them. Become a risk taker.
These is what I’ve been doing lately. Every minute of every day I put all my efforts on achieving my goals. It’s hard, but as you’ve said it, the higher the risk the higher the reward.
Walter´s last blog ..Success is nothing to be afraid of
I’m happy you’re doing well going after your goals. I’ll meet you at the top soon enough.
Bamboo Forest, those same exact quotes are what stuck into my mind as well! I simply love them, especially
“The moment you lose sight of your goals, the obstacles become clear.”
Chukwuma John you are wise beyond your years and I feel like the earlier you realize these truths the better, because then you’ll spend your life carrying out actions that will give you the results that truly matter.
Thank you for this great post, it has been a great inspiration.
I’m not wise, just well-experienced. Sometimes I forget these truths myself, but writing them down always helps. Also, the fact that people are getting what I’m saying makes me want to stick to my guns even more. I’m glad you could take good things out of my post. My your life be greatly improved because of them.
High risk – High reward. I feel like this phrase encompasses my attitude. My father always says “Jay your going to make a lot of money someday, but then you will lose it all and make it right back again.”
I feel like this is true about everything I do. Go big or go home.
Jay Willingham – CampusByte´s last blog ..30 Questions to Answer Before Choosing a College
Your father knows what he’s talking about. You can’t leave anything to chance. That’s really great advice from your dad. It motivates me to go out there and do something too.
Welcome to the blog, Jay and thanks for sharing.