(Day 25): Take a Risk
{IF you are joining me for the first time for this series on Overcoming Anxiety, I encourage you to click here and see what you may have missed! Or feel free to jump right in with today’s post!}
Taking a risk may sound the complete opposite of overcoming anxiety. But just hear me out for the next couple minutes and I assure you it’s less crazy than it sounds.
Oftentimes the things we stress out and worry about are the very things we fear doing most in the first place. Yet it lingers in the back of your mind and you wonder “what if it might be possible?” Perhaps you’ve always wanted to start that side-business, but fear of failure always overrides this desire anytime you think about it. Or maybe you desire to get out of the house and go to the park with three toddlers but fear paralyzes you as you see that as a daunting and potentially difficult task by yourself (ahem).
But doing these things might be the very thing to relax your stressed-out and frazzled nerves because, what if you find out the very thing you fear turn out to be the exact opposite of what you thought it would be?!
- That desirous side-business you finally decided to take a risk on? It may be the very thing that helps retire your family!
- That daunting park walk with the three rambunctious kids? It may be the best unexpected fun-filled activity than expected for everyone!
Sure there may be failed moments (A failed business or a child may forget to use the bathroom and you forgot to take a change of clothes)… sure there’s the possible risk that things could turn sour. Otherwise why would it be called a risk, right!? But facing your fears, even if they don’t turn out as expected (as long as it’s not a life or death experience) you will come out stronger on the other side. (It may take a few failed adventures to get to the RIGHT adventure ;-))
Because you see, it’s not necessarily about whether you win or fail. It’s about tackling those things that seem daunting, overwhelming, far-fetched or crazy… and then telling yourself afterwards the achievement and success was simply stepping out in the first place. By overcoming your fear of risk, you may find yourself less stressed about future risky situations and become a less stress-filled person in the process.
No matter what, when you change the perspective to seeing the risk as a success just for stepping out in the first place, you have made steps to conquering that fear (and maybe figuring out a better way to do things next time if things don’t turn out so well).
Walt Disney was rejected for his idea to create Disneyland over 300 times until someone finally took him up on this risky idea and invested into it. Walk Disney risked and kept risking by putting himself out there, pursuing his dream for Disneyland, until it finally came to fruition in more abundant ways than (I bet) he ever imagined. It truly was a dream come true.
So… what if the very thing causing you anxiety right now is simple fear of stepping out and taking that risk? My answer to you would be: Go for it! Try it out and see! Positive or negative, tell me how it went! 😉
