take risks
Happy Wednesday! On Monday I wrote a post called “own your choices,” which focused on some conversations I’ve been having recently with some friends of mine regarding our futures and our different life paths we've chosen. Those conversations then got me thinking a lot about something else that isn’t always encouraged in life: taking risks.
TAKE RISKS! The worst thing you can do when you take risks is fail. And so what? If you fail, you learned a valuable lesson: that thing you tried didn’t work. You can then figure out why something didn’t work, fix the problem, and move forward. Failure is an opportunity to learn and grow, so risk big.
I started Basic Improv at the Groundlings this past October and finished it in December. After a short holiday hiatus and waiting for a class to open up that fit my schedule, I finally started Intermediate this past Monday. I’m incredibly excited for Intermediate because I have the same teacher I had for Basic. He is someone who encourages a supportive environment so that students feel safe to take risks, but he also provides valuable notes and constructive criticism. He's direct and a straight shooter, which is refreshing, and he has the same idea about making mistakes as I do: if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying and taking risks.
Taking risks and being willing to fail is how you improve and grow. If you don’t take risks and make mistakes, you can’t learn from them and get better. A wise person once said you get good at something by devoting 10,000 hours to it. If you’re willing to dedicate 10,000 hours of your life to something, why wouldn’t you do everything within your power to become the best version of yourself you’re capable of being in that area? Becoming the best version of yourself involves taking risks and failing in order to learn.
Has there been a time where you worked really hard at something only to fail? You’re not alone! I think everyone has failed at something. If they haven’t and they’re just coasting through life, it might be because they’re too afraid to take risks. And, hey, that’s normal. Fear can be paralyzing or a great motivator depending on how you choose to view it. If you’re into conquering fears, you’ll also be motivated to take risks because you’ll realize that fear is really all in your head. And how do you conquer your fears? Take a deep breath, and dive in head first. You’ll figure it out as you go.
Take risks. Fail often. Figure out what doesn’t work. Learn. Grow. Succeed. Repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, and, as always, if you have any pressing questions or if you want to discuss something further with me, please subscribe below, follow me on Instagram or Twitter, or reach out to me on the “contact” page. I’m so grateful you're here and that I’ve been getting a lot of really challenging questions and even better feedback from a community all over the world. I couldn’t do this without you! So THANK YOU! I’m here for you, and I love hearing from you, too! You’re the best, and you have everything you need inside of you! Please believe it! Starve your ego, feed your soul - and follow your heart!!