National Take a Chance Day
23 April is National Take a Chance Day. This is a great opportunity / reason to move out of your comfort zone and try something new. Your comfort zone is a set of routines and behaviours that help us to remain comfortable through low risk or stress. But always being in your comfort zone denies you the chance to try new things and perhaps improve your life. As John F Kennedy (US President) said, “There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction”.
Leap of Faith
For most of us taking a chance or a leap of faith is not something that comes naturally. We are often instinctively risk adverse. But the down side of these things are not as bad as we imagine. And life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. I am not suggesting betting your life savings on a horse race. I am thinking about more modest things. Perhaps ask someone on a date, start a new business or do something new. Overcome your fears and inhibitions and do something adventurous.
And even if you think you will fail, failure is rarely complete and absolute, there are always valuable experiences and lessons learnt. As Cat Cora (American Chef) said, “Even when you have doubts, take that step. Take chances. Mistakes are never a failure – they can be turned into wisdom”.
Escape Your Comfort Zone
You could decide to take an evening class and learn a new skill, language or hobby. Perhaps you could share your feelings about someone or something. Perhaps it’s time to face up to a fear of something and try to resolve or get past it. What one thing about your life would you change if you could? Perhaps make a plan and change that.
This is an annual event, so don’t make this a difficult day in the future where you remember what you didn’t do. So as Mark Twain didn’t say (we actually don’t know who did), “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowline, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover”.
So, there you have it. Don’t wait to be asked or ask for permission – just do!
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