Taking Risks (Part 1) – An Essential Part of Success

Taking Risks - An Essential part of Business SuccessTaking risks – do you love it? Do you avoid it at all costs?

Whatever your approach to risk taking, like it or not, it is an essential element of achieving success.

In this 3 part mini series we are going to explore risk taking. In part two, we will look at why you MUST take risks to achieve real success. In part three we will look at some do’s, don’ts and tips when taking risks.

So, to get in the spirit of the theme, I am going to take a risk. I am going to share with you a poem. This is a risk for me. I have never before included a poem as part of my business “chat”. My old corporate head doesn’t like it at all. It thinks you might think I am going a bit “woo woo” (I don’t do woo woo!).

But I am taking the risk anyway because I think it is thought provoking and relevant to the challenges facing many Home Based and Small Business Owners. It is also very relevant to what we are going to look at in the rest of this series.

So, have a read of the poem below. Even if it isn’t your bag, look for how it relates to you as a business owner, the way you run your business and the way you live your life:

Risk

by Author Unknown

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live
Chained by their certitude’s, they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedom
Only a person who risks is free.

Join me in the next post when we will look at how this relates to Business Success and Lifestyle Freedom.


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  • http://www.diary4life.com Paul

    Ali,

    A lovely poem and very approriate for risk taking. I love, “But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

    Thank you for sharing this poem

    Regards

    Paul

  • Purplebutterfly

    So true paul Take risks, be alive and live life to its fullest…..this is a great poem should be posted everywhere.

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Glad you liked it. It is a poem I read a lot when I was making my career transition from the corporate world and when moving for the UK to Ireland.

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    I agree. It is appropriate for all areas of business and life.

  • http://designresumes.com/ juliewalraven

    Perfect for me right now, Ali… As my current post says, I'm leaving on a jet plane… on Sunday to the Career Thought Leaders Conference. This will be my first business trip for my business despite me running my Design Resumes since 1983… and first vacation since 1995.

    I have to go read the rest of your well-thought-out series next… to check on my dos and don'ts!

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Wow Julie, that is a long time. Your trip sounds great. Have a great time. Would lvoe to hear all about it when you get back.

  • http://www.caradiaz.com Caradiaz Jewellery

    Great post, Ali. Truly inspiring. I look forward to the remaining two parts!

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. I think having inspiring resources around us is important.

  • http://www.caradiaz.com Caradiaz Jewellery

    Great post, Ali. Truly inspiring. I look forward to the remaining two parts!

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. I think having inspiring resources around us is important.

  • Denise Lynn Banks

    The ORIGINAL Quote:
    “To risk is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To expose feelings is to risk exposing our true self. To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To try at all is to risk failure. But to risk we must. Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The man, the woman, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Hi Denise
    There seems to be conflicting information on who this quote originated from. Have seem it attributed to other folk too. But whoever wrote it originally, it is extremely powerful.