Risky Business

I love quotes.  Lots of quotes are cheesy and many serve as the most predictable cliches.  However, the best quotes are those that are thought provoking.  Not thought provoking in the sense that you sit there afterward completely confused...but instead contemplating some way it proves true in your life or the life of someone you know.  I came across a quote last night that has been replaying in my head all morning.  It is one of those quotes that you hear -often worded differently- but one of those we've all heard before.  

It's just that today it has taken on a new meaning for me...

"Doing something requires risk, but so does doing nothing."

Doesn't this make you just wanna drop what you're doing right now and run out and tell that guy/girl how you feel about them... or quit your job to pursue something you think is impossible...or do any other cinematic, dramatic, life-changing type thing???  

sarcasm.

To an extent... maybe.  BUT... not so fast my friends.  Where I'm trying to go with this is similar... but in more of the direction of consideration.  Many of us have secrets we long to share... or things we want to pursue.. and we don't even consider going there.  That is called fear of the unknown.  What I am suggesting is not that we run out and take those chances immediately... but that we put things into consideration.  Instead of dismissing an idea immediately, consider what could happen if you took a chance.  Don't sit around and weigh the pros and cons too long and miss out on what could be a great opportunity, but also don't take action too quickly.

It's a hard thing... the in between of knowing what you want but not knowing whether or not you want to go for it.  Sometimes it's best to ask "what is the worst that could happen?"

One of my favorite commercials is the one for AT&T (maybe?) or some other phone company.  It starts out and they are introducing a president.  Then it goes back through the years showing him growing up, etc. and in the beginning there is a guy changing his train ticket on his phone so he can sit next to a pretty girl.  (i.e., the one he ends up marrying and having a baby with...who in turn becomes president one day)  If this was a real life scenario... think of how different life would have been if he hadn't have taken a risk.  

I feel like I am being completely redundant and cliche right now...but in light of the many changes in my life since May of 2009 when I graduated from Campbell.. I'm feeling the weight of a lot of decisions to be made.

SLIGHTLY unrelated...but VERY relevant as well:

Here is something I will stand by no matter what.  It is the most important thing to pray about everything you do.  Philippians 4:6 says:  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Go to Him FOR ALL THINGS.  I'm not saying to pray to God about what to eat for breakfast every morning or about what toothpaste to buy (you can.. if you want to..) but of course go to Him for everything.  Only He will show you which paths to take.  BUT.... what I also am standing by is this:  

DO NOT USE GOD AS AN EXCUSE.  

When I was looking for a job... did I say "I'm praying about it," and sit around and play super Nintendo all day?  NO... I looked for a job every single day WHILE praying diligently about it.  I took chances and considered all options.  In this case, doing nothing would have been a risk.  In other cases the risk is in the doing.

  

So to somewhat contradict myself... yeah... this quote does make me wanna run out and be honest about my feelings and pursue various opportunities.  

However... after prayer... the next most important part lies in deciding what is WORTH the risk.

Fine... don't do what your heart desires... but you risk missing out if you don't TAKE a risk. 

If you've made it this far into my redundancy... I will end on this note.  I just had two leftover fortune cookies from Pei Wei and the fortunes couldn't have been much more relevant in my opinion:

"You will soon emerge victorious from the maze you've been traveling in."

and

"Big journeys begin with a single step."

DOING SOMETHING REQUIRES RISK, BUT SO DOES DOING NOTHING.

Don't be afraid. :)