Caution. It means be careful, warning, danger and other things. But in the midst of life, sometimes caution can be a death sentence that leads to a mundane existence filled with the same boring pork chops and applesauce every Thursday night along with Sunday night bowling. Hey, bowling is great. Pork chops are great. But… wouldn’t Bowling for Pork Chops be even better?
Exactly.
There have been times I have played on the safe side of the fence. Okay, most of my life (unless I was drunk or high) I played on the safe side of the fence. I took risks, but they were extremely calculated risks with a high percentage success rate. I mean, one thing I hate is to fail or be wrong. So it makes sense that caution was something I exercised often.
Caution can be a death sentence. It can be that thing that suffocates you. You’ll wake up in thirty years, roll out of bed and look in the mirror and ask yourself, “why?” And you’ll pepper your soul with “shoulda, woulda, coulda’s.”
If we don’t take chances, we don’t know what can happen! Sure, we’ll always know that our food will taste good because we order the same thing, or that we’ll make it to work on time because we always take the same route (boring!). We can always be sure we’ll be entertained because we watch that movie we love every time.
Calculated risks are a way to step out of our comfort zone and grow as an individual. Do you remember the last time you took a calculated risk? Maybe you took a deep breath and asked for a raise (which I did last week – it paid off!) or maybe you decided to wear a different color sweater than that gray one you always wear.
Whatever it is, step outside your comfort zone and take a calculated risk. You will grow in ways you won’t begin to believe.
Calculated risks are a way to step out of our comfort zone and grow as an individual.
Very well said.
–Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
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Thanks, Damyanti.
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Oh, heavens, your post resonated in me so much I could have written it myself. I read all these fantastic accounts of young people doing all these wonderful things and they aren’t even 30 yet. Here I am, so much older and have done really nothing in my life to show I’ve ‘lived’. I vow to change that, however, and start doing all those things I should have done that’s not too late to do. To heck with risk. I’m too old to worry about risk anymore. Now is the time to think about living, and I plan on doing a lot of it. Great post!
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Go get ’em k!! 😀 Glad you have been inspired.
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Very true. Thanks so much for the reminder. Great post. Love the idea for the series of blogs. 🙂
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Hi Rhonda!! Glad you enjoyed the post… Enjoy the rest of your day.
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Good post. It’s so much easier using caution as a way to do nothing new. Helps to have someone to take the plunge with, I find.
mood
Moody Writing
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Thanks, Mood… I agree.. sometimes a friend helps.
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Blowing caution to the wind can also be addictive, take it from someone who knows 🙂 I do agree though, taking risks and making changes is a way “FEEL” life and not just live it.
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Siv.. so you have lived the risk taking dream, eh? Awesome…. so glad you stopped by.
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Darlene, I really enjoy these A to Z posts. Based on what I’ve read, you could have easily used ‘courage’ as well, and it would have counterpointed your ‘adversity’ post. You rock.
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Hey Brain.. I am thrilled that you stopped by. Glad you enjoy my A – Z posts.. I got more coming.. 😉
Enjoy your night.. I’ll be popping by soon.
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oh yeah. 1 week ago I announced my retirement from my “straight” job.
threw caution completely to the wind…
Mimi Torchia Boothby Watercolors
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Awesome! Way to go, Mimi..
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I just got done with a post of my own describing a “Gap Year.” It is something that is becoming more appealing to midlifers as they take stock of where they are at career-wise and either take a complete break…or transition into something more to their liking. Instead of living to work…you work on living. Excellent that you just posted the very same sentiment. Hope you’ll get a chance to stop by and comment on the “lifeattitudes” site!. Great job, Darlene!
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I shall be moseying on over to your blog this evening.. 🙂 Thanks so much for dropping by.
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Congrats on your raise! I’ve always said that I’d rather regret the things I did rather than the things I didn’t. They were empty words until I did counseling at Hospice and realized that people often thought about the things they did, but it was all the things they felt were missing that brought them true regret. I’ve started looking at things and thinking, “When I’m 80, what would I like to say I did about this?” It changes your perspective… thanks for a great thought provoking post!
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Hey Doree.. and thanks! I am glad you got something out of helping others.. that is the best gift of all.. 🙂
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That’s great about your raise. I need to work up the nerve to ask about that soon 🙂
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Thanks! Best of luck to you! 😀
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Woo-hoo on the raise!
I used to love taking all manner of risk, but now I find it more uncomfortable to take them. Still, I force myself outside of my comfort zone, because I truly do believe that life really happens outside of that comfort zone. And I learn much more about my capabilities that way, to boot!
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Yay Deborah… 🙂 Sometimes we just have to push ourselves.
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I think the key is “calculated risks” but then isn’t that another form of caution?
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Caution is stopping at the just turned yellow light.. calculated risk is stepping on the gas and going because it just turned yellow. That’s just my opinion.
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I can abide by that! 🙂 (and adopt it)
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It’s a challenge to keep pushing ourselves just beyond that zone of comfort, to be just a ltlle less cautious but a little more reckless. Helps to have partners/friends that know us well enough to nudge us toweards the edge, and that trust us enough in turn to let us give them a bit of a shove.
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