“Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who dare.” – Voltaire

We are not here to play it safe. If there are things that you’ve been meaning to do and you haven’t done them, ask yourself why. After all, you were born with a spirit of love and adventure. On your birthday, you were ready and equipped to get out there and live. You looked directly into the faces of those around you and searched for connection because that is what you were born to do. On a day when you were feeling especially brave, you stood upright, took a step or two and did not obsess over falling. You did it anyway. Remembering all this, it makes sense to ask right now, “What keeps me from taking chances now?” You did it as a baby and eventually ended up running and it changed everything. It gave you opportunity. It opened up the world to you.

We usually invite change and take chances when we’re itching for something different or are feeling uncomfortable. When we’re in that space of “Shit’s just not right”, that’s life telling us it’s time to look at things. Again. It means, we’re alive because accepting change and taking chances is what all living creatures must do to survive. Life will always push us to adapt and grow so we end up with a life well-lived. If we don’t take chances it’s impossible to get wiser, help others, collect an abundance of love and experience the world. Only through a leap of faith do new paths and opportunities present themselves. Doors will never open if you do not knock. Get brave and knock. You’ll be able to handle whatever’s on the other side. There’s a good chance it could be amazing.

When we don’t accept the challenge or take a chance we wilt like plants without light or water. We were not meant to remain indoors, safe and out of the elements. We have imagination and the ability to think outside the box for a reason. We have to get uncomfortable sometimes, look at things differently, figure stuff out while keeping our eyes on the light so we remain fed and steadfast. Taking chances means we jump, so strap on a parachute called trust. Scream if it’s required. The parachute of trust will guide you through your fall and the process of change until you land safely and find balance again. Wherever you end up, be open to opportunity and the options to grow and get stronger in a different way, in a different place. The more you practice taking a chance and trying something new, the richer the story of your life will become.

Walk – no, no, no – Run! What would you like to try, to change, to conquer? What would you do if you had no fear? What keeps you from leaving the “safety” of familiarity filled with things that will never take you to that next place. It’s possible that you could get hurt, lose something or just plain fall. But then you’ll never experience true love, expand your world, develop meaningful relationships and grow into your full potential. You will not develop into all that you were born to be scrolling through your phone for hours on end. It just will not happen. That’s playing it safe.

Start by taking baby steps. You knew what you were doing as a toddler, just do it again. Do one thing outside of your comfort zone. Just one thing. Believe that many amazing things will happen when you take a chance. If things don’t go as well as expected, you did not make a mistake. You practiced taking chances. You didn’t play it safe, you trusted yourself, you trusted in others and in the Divine. You grew, expanded your world, your perspective and probably experienced some pain too. You started a new journey that just had a slow start. You believed in you. The world is full of brave people that believed in themselves and didn’t allow hard times to rob them of all they wanted to do. They just believed. When you take a chance, you become a card-carrying member of this club. The brave, the scared, the rumpled, imperfect, world-changing lovers of life. Strap on the parachute and jump.

Questions/activities to ponder or good journal prompts!

1. Do you ever feel in touch with your spirit of adventure? If so, what does it feel like and what does it nudge you to do? If it’s difficult to find this part of you, why is it hard to do so?
2. What keeps you from taking chances now? How can you work with the obstacles before you?
3. Are you in that space of not feeling content or unhappy? Why or why not? Have you been there before? What did you do about it?
4. How can you step out of your comfort zone in a small way? How might you do so in a big way?
5. Taking chances invites more experience and love into your life story. Connect some dots. What opportunities came about because you knocked?