Most everything in live worth having requires at least a little risk. Some things are easier to lead up to than others and this excuse is about the big things that require a massive leap of faith. What if you had lived in Ohio your entire life but always dreamed of living in Paris?  You could mitigate the risk by taking French lessons and saving up and taking a vacation there but to truly realize the dream at some point you have to put an ocean between everything familiar and what you think you want.

The goal certainly doesn’t have to be Paris, it could be starting a business or learning to rock climb.  The excuse comes in when we stop ourselves from going after it. Absolutely look for the things that can be done to remove some risk, physical, financial or emotional but then you have to ask yourself what the risk is of not doing it.  What do you stand to lose? Dreams count.

I know I’ve used this excuse when I wanted something that seemed out of reach and nobody in my immediate circle wanted it for themselves or knew anything about it.  That tends to heighten the perceived risk because it feels like there’s no net.  The truth is there really never is a net because everyone’s experience is different.  That doesn’t mean you head off to the mountains without the appropriate safety gear! It just means that we all perceive risk differently and have different goals attached to overcoming it.

Next week: ‘My perception is skewed and I don’t trust my own judgment’

Technorati Tags: common excuses, taking risks