Monday, February 6, 2012

Risk Taking


I was born and raised in London, Ontario. Never left and wonder if I ever will. I live a safe little Londoner life, like many people I know. It's great in so many ways because my safe little life makes things alot easier. My parents are a few minutes away if I need a roll of toilet paper, all my family are close by actually. I can get around this London town with my eyes closed. My doctor is the same damn doctor I've had my whole life, he delivered me into this city actually. I went to storybook gardens every summer as a child and now that I am a mom I bring my kids there every summer too.
Me and the kids at storybook gardens a couple years ago

Yep, a typical londoner, living a very safe and predictable little life.

Putting together all the pieces of the puzzle, solving the problem, answering the question: "What is my purpose here?" I've realized that my barrier is not what should I do, but do i have the courage to actually do what my heart is telling me i should do? Am I able to take the risks necessary to live the life I'm meant to? I have friends that have left everything safe to start a new life in a new province, a new city, a new country and I admire them greatly. Their courage to take risks, and walk away from everything that feels safe and secure and experience something new. Taking big steps and moving forward, makes for big opportunities for awesome things to happen. Finding love, marriage, success, new friendships and opening up new parts of ones spirit. People that i know that I've had the strength to take those risks, have discovered things about themselves they NEVER would have discovered if they had stayed in their safe little hometowns. Now i wonder...what could I discover and uncover about myself if I only took some risks.
The word risk seems to have a slightly negative connotation to it — it implies danger or a possible loss. But what about the positive side of risk? Discovering a sense of self you never knew possible, getting that job you only dreamed of having, finding joy in undiscovered places. Taking risks can open doors and make BIG things happen. For all we have is this one little life, we should use it to the fullest. Conquer our greatest fears and live life as if it's our only one...because as far as I'm aware, it is.
Now I'm not saying that I'm ready to pick up my family and move to a villa in tuscany but what if I start with some smaller risks. What if just to start, I finally went the blonde I've always wanted to be, instead of chickening out and settling with a few subtle highlights? What if I painted that wooden cabinet a bold colour that makes my heart skip a beat instead of just the safe white that I am drawn to?
What if I finally opened that vintage/antique etsy store that I've always wanted to?
Have a risk taking sort of day!


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