It is important to take risks and live outside of your comfort zone
Ceilidh Adams
Opinion Editor
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”- Neale Donald Walsch
I wake up generally around the same time every single day. Every Monday is the same, every Tuesday is the same, I tend to order to exact same things for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and despite the fact that I have a decent collection of clothes to wear, I even tend to wear the exact same sets of clothes every week.
As humans and college students, we tend to be predictable. The question needs to be asked then: what happens when we dip our toes into the unfamiliar? What happens when we reach out of our comfort zones?
The bottom line is, life is short. Taking risks, whether big or small, in different aspects of our lives can sometimes help us to live our best lives.
As long as these risks do not pose any dangers or harm to yourself or others, (physically, emotionally, or otherwise) and as long as this is a risk that will make you happy, take a risk every once in a while.
One small risk we can take is through switching up our styles. Do you tend to wear the exact same thing, generally? Look through your wardrobe for something more edgy, something you haven’t worn in a while.
One of the biggest risks we can take in our lives is when we fall in love. We risk our love, our hearts, and even sometimes our reputations–we give all of this to our significant other, hoping they will give this back to us. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t; regardless, love is one of the best reasons to take a risk.
Another place where we tend to take risks is in making choices–big or small. We tend outweigh the benefits versus the risks in making these decisions, but the risks (as in consequences) are still there. The important thing is to take that leap of faith and to truly believe that you made the right decision.
Think about the most successful people you know. They had to take some risks in order to be successful.
What happens, though, if the risk does not pay off? What about the consequences of taking risks?
Well, life is also about making mistakes. All of us are imperfect, and sometimes the risk that you took did not pay off in the end.
However, think about it this way: life is fleeting. Mistakes help us to realize not to do something again, and they allow us to grow tremendously. Looking back, if you took a risk and it did not pay off, you can say to yourself: “I took a risk there. It did not pay off, but sometimes it is better to take that risk and make that mistake over not living this one life I have to its fullest potential”.
Switch up that morning routine. Trust in people. Take that risk of falling in love. Take that risk. Your success might depend on it.
“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”- William G.T. Shedd
Ceilidh Adams is the Opinion Editor for The Comment. Email her at c3adams@student.bridgew.edu.
