To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To place our ideas, our dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
Only a person who risks is free.
Anonymous
For our first post of Q3 I thought we'd take a chance. Are you a "risk taker"? Describe a time in your life when you took a risk or could have but didn't. What happened? Were the results what you expected? If you didn't take a risk do you regret it?
ReplyDeleteI think that taking risks is a very difficult thing to do, especially for people who are naturally shy or easily worried. In my own experience I’ve found that taking risks not only opens up more opportunities, but also gains confidence.
In elementary school I decided to run for class secretary, which at the time seemed like a really big deal. We had to write speeches and then read them over the intercom, and I was super nervous. I thought that I’d give it a go anyhow, and I ended up winning. That was a great experience because it showed me that we never truly know what will happen unless we do something. And even if the outcome isn’t what we expected, or isn’t what we had hoped, at least we won’t live the rest of our lives wondering, “What if…?”
Nice Madeline. That "What if..." is a big one.
DeleteDuring Summer 2013, I went to a two-week Italian immersion camp in Minnesota. Speaking English was strictly prohibited which made the first time being away from home even more daunting. Furthermore, we didn’t have access to the Internet or our phones. Even though the stakes were high, I decided to go anyway. I thought it would be foolish of me to give up a free opportunity in which I could make friends from all over the country and discover myself as an Italian American.
ReplyDeleteOverall, it proved to be an interesting experience. Though overwhelming most of the time, I’m glad I went because since then I have taken my Italian background more seriously. When I become a film producer, one of my goals is to protect my Italian heritage, by eschewing stereotypes and introducing a modern day audience to an Italian history beyond the Mafia.
Risk with a dash of vulnerable can be an interesting recipe. Good Taylor.
DeleteWhen I was younger, I had a very hard time writing. It took me hours to write one paragraph and the paragraph would never make sense, so my dad began to help me. Anytime I had a writing assignment my dad would read it over, show me my mistakes, and then together we would fix it.
ReplyDeleteIn the sixth grade, I remember my English teacher told the class that we had to write a five paragraph essay on a story that we had read in class. I went home and began writing, using the information I had and the lessons my dad had taught me. A few hours passed and I had finally finished, the issue is, I never showed my dad. He was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him, so I took the risk, and prayed they what I had wrote was phenomenal and not garbage.
Fortunately enough, I did very well, so well that I received the only hundred in the class and my teacher used my essay as an example for the others. I was so thrilled. I couldn't wait to show my dad once I got home. Till this day though I question myself on why I decided to take that risk, yes it worked out for the better, but what if it didn't you know?
Excellent Blazine. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI’m not a risk taker because of my shy and easily-worried personality. Before I make any decision i must spend 15-20 minutes worrying about the affects it has on others and myself first. And because I’m an introvert, I like to stay in my comfortable little shell that I‘ve built for myself. But. I realised that staying inside of one’s shell just because it’s comfortable is just not possible in today’s world. Today life’s all about taking risks and without risks, no one would be where they are today.
ReplyDeleteA time in my life where I took a risk was during college applications. I chose to apply to some fairly expensive schools with tuition ranging from $30,000 to over $40,000. Sure I had my safe CUNY backup schools, and $30,000 dollars doesn’t seem very expensive for college, but it is if you come from a single parent household with two children going to catholic school. I had my heart set on a school with $30,000 dollar tuition, not wanting to go to CUNY because I knew that I could be so much better somewhere else. But, the problem was the money. Yes I would get a scholarship, but how much? How many loans will I have to take out to cover the remaining money after scholarship and financial aid have been calculated? I applied anyway with the resolution that no matter what I will get in and attend. No matter how many loans I have to take out that would burden me until I’m 35, this is my future that I am investing in and every penny is worth it.
I ended up getting accepted with a scholarship and now I am just waiting for the financial aid packet. I know that I will probably have to take out at least one loan and my family’s dream of moving out of our cramped apartment and to a better neighborhood would have to be halted for a few more years, but I know that I would have regretted not applying to my dream school and choosing not to attend for the rest of my life.
Congratulations Tiara. Regret can be a powerful force behind risk taking.
DeleteRisk is something I'd always avoided. I mean after all, you don't jump at something you would consider a risk. It wasn't until I got older, matured more, that I realized that I had to break out of my comfort zone. Despite being a naturally extroverted person, I fear rejection. I fear being spoken about. However, life has a funny way of throwing your fears in your face. This year, I ran for Song Contest (something I had no idea was so hard to run) and I was placed into a position where I had to be a little meaner than usual with people. I had to be harsh in order to get people to listen. The thought initial scared me - I liked being well liked by my classmates and the thought that it would be jeopardized if I said something mean. However, I realized that in order to effectively lead I needed to get my point across and be a little meaner than I intended.
ReplyDeleteRisk was something I was scared of, but admittedly I learned more about myself than I had before.
Well done. Similar experience to Blazine and Taylor. By taking a risk and putting yourself in a vulnerable place you learned quite a bit about yourself.
DeleteBeing a teenager, there're many situations that we have to face, where we have to take risks. Usually don't take risks because I'm too scared of the outcome. I'm usually careful in situations then taking risks because I'm worried that once I take that risk something might go wrong. So, most of the time I avoid myself from taking risks.
ReplyDeleteThe last thing that I could remember about taking a risk is when I was in the 3rd grade. In the 3rd grade, I was a part of my school's choir. My music teacher told me that I had a good voice and she wanted me to do a solo. I was nervous. I didn't want to stand up in front of a crowd and possibly end up messing up my solo. I decided to become a risk taker. I decided to do the solo, but I only messed up once but no one noticed. After the performance, I got a lot of compliments but I keep on remembering that I messed up and if I try out for a solo again, I would mess up and everyone would notice.
After that experience, I stopped taking risks and I thought it would be safer to be on the safe side during different types of situations. I always believed that it is safer to be on the safe side because when you take risk, you'll never know the outcome of the situation.
Nice Briana. There is a difference between being cautious and afraid. Just as you experienced in 3rd grade, sometimes it is good when we push ourselves to be uncomfortable and learn more about ourselves. See Khadijah's post.
DeleteWhen I was in middle school, I never took risks. I was always afraid of making a fool out of myself or not fitting in with the right people. I always just did everything everyone else did and I never wanted to deviate from the crowd. Even down to the clothes I used to wear, I tried to be like everyone else. I wouldn't even think of dressing in the style that I liked to dress.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was finishing up 8th grade I realized that trying to be like everyone else still wont prevent you from problems. You might as well just be your self so if you still face problems at least you're doing it as your self, not as someone you're not. And that was a great risk I took.
Ah. The cradle of conformity. It is easy to conform and seems important as a young person because we are social beings. Good job Tyree.
DeleteThroughout life there are many opportunities to take risks. Especially during our teenage years, the risks that are available are not always good ones but we do it anyway. Just to be rebellious or to fit in. I have taken many risks and most weren’t good ones. Sometimes it is worth taking risks no matter the outcome because we can share our experiences and we are able to guide others to do the right thing because of what we went through. Other times we get away with the risks we take and they’ll make great stories.
ReplyDeleteA recent risk I took and I can share would be when the time my friend took me to Mr. Huie’s room to try to get a solo. In the end I basically failed because I was so nervous and I could barely breathe.So yes I am a risk taker although taking risks can be scary at times, I try to take as many as I can.
You bring up an important distinction between good and bad risks. It is important to be able to know in your heart when you are being pushed beyond what you are comfortable with.
DeleteI was a very quiet and shy person when I was in middle school. I never liked to step out of my comfort zone and I always hid behind people who'd speak up for me. At one time I had a falling out with a few friends and I ended up being that kid in the corner who never talked to anyone. After it got a little better, the spring play had come around and I decided to take a risk. I've only ever sang in front of my family and I wanted to be brave and sing in the spring play.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got the part, I was so happy because I got the part, but I was also extremely nervous because I've never done anything like this before. I was nervous mainly because I'd have to sing in front of a crowd. When I sang, it was really nerve wracking, but after I did it I was relieved that I did it because I'd broken my own boundaries and done something I would've never done otherwise.
By taking that risk, I ended up winning a little plastic trophy at prom that said "Best Singer". Taking that little risk benefited towards the person that I am today. I won't sing in front of a crowd, but I can definitely talk to a person way easier than I used to. Taking that risk was wonderful, and I hope to continue taking risks.
Excellent Michelle. It can be exhilarating and scary at the same time.
DeleteIn October of 2006 I was offered a job here at St. Saviour as the computer teacher. I had no teaching experience and my wife was not sure if this was a good fit for me. I took the chance and while it was hard work and I was unsure of what I was doing, in the end it was one of the best risks i've ever taken.
ReplyDeleteI took a risk when I went to Ecuador alone for a service trip for three weeks. I went all by myself the summer between sophmore and junior year. I did not know anyone going, so I was a little scared to be so alone. The trip turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I had so much fun helping the local community and I also made many new friends, the risk I took was completely worth it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say that I am quite the risk taker. Like my mom, I have taken on the characteristics of being a gambler and in the end I always seem to end up with the better end of the stick. I took the risk of accepting a very important job as a Tennis Coach. The worst part about it is when the parents sit there...watching your every move...and this underlying fear sits in front of you saying, "See what you just did there, a parent probably didn't like that." and it just eats away at you.
ReplyDeleteI was a rookie. I had never taught a tennis class before, I took the risk of COMPLETELY humiliating myself or making many mistakes. Today, I'm a semi-professional tennis player and am capable of teaching a class by myself as long as I have a coach's supervision. I know have experience of being a teacher and have learned how to deal with parents, children, and learned many tricks of socializing and asserting authority at the right times.