Risk Builds Courage
If you are in business, you are in the business of risk.
There is the risk of not making enough money to pay the rent.
The risk of leaving the corporate paycheck behind.
There is the risk of concept failure.
There is the risk that life will intervene and you will have to scale back your business.
And then there are all the risks that go along with saying yes and taking bold action.
There is the risk that you will be criticized, called out, judged, and disliked by some.
There is the risk that you will work so much that the rest of your life will fall apart.
There is the risk of reinvention and evolution.
The risks you will take to be in business (hell, to live a full life) are endless, and though that may take your breath away, imagine me telling you that while looking you straight in the eye, knowing you are fully up to the task.
It's vital to become a woman who will take risks.
Most good things in life are on the other side of taking a risk. The sweet nectar that you crave is often outside your comfort zone. There are risks that must be taken to reach the reward.
To become a smart risk-taker requires courage.
Courage, like most everything, can be learned. If you want your business to succeed (which I know you do) then that, right there, tells me you can learn to shimmy right up to your edges and take the risk.
When I started my business 6+ years ago, I was scared shitless. I am a person who puts a great deal of value on safety and nothing about starting my business felt safe. Blogging felt like a huge act of courage, not to mention marketing and putting programs out into the world. Let's not even talk about money conversations with potential clients. I slowly got comfortable with the day-to-day risks involved in my business.
But it wasn't until I said yes to risk, consciously and intentionally, that things really began to change. I was doing the same things on a larger scale, taking risks in my business and other areas of my life, but there was more ease in the challenge. I started feeling a sense of power, personal agency, and excitement to take on bigger desires and challenges.
I am more comfortable dancing at my edge.
The edges of my comfort zone keep expanding, getting bigger and more spacious as time goes on. What I have learned in the time I've been doing business is that you can learn to expand your edges and get comfortable with taking risks more quickly.
Are you ready for this magical elixir that is going to amp up your energy and your confidence and your ability to kick ass and take names?
Train for growth by saying yes to risk.
Oh so simple, but oh so juicy in its reward of more courage in the face of tough choices and scary decisions. Here's how I suggest training:
Write down 20-plus things/activities you've always wanted to do that take your breath away. I would encourage you to make this first list of activities that have nothing to do with your business. Remember, you are practicing so we want this to be super fun and exciting and not related to income, okay?
Keep in mind, this is YOUR list. Don't look at someone else's list and feel like you aren't risking 'enough'. Promise me. There is no right or wrong level of risk for this list. It could be going to a peaceful protest in your town or putting on a bathing suit and going swimming in public is the risk that takes your breath away right now. The key thing is that it not be something that scares the living daylights out of you, but it's enough to get your heart pumping and make you think twice (or three times) before saying HELL YES.
Schedule a risk date with yourself and have fun. Put this risk on the calendar and DO IT. Take a friend or go it alone, it doesn't matter. The important thing is becoming a woman who is saying yes to risk. And in saying yes to risk, you grow your understanding of yourself as a bad-ass human being who is capable of anything. Take notes and gather data on your experience and what you notice about yourself and apply this growing body of knowledge to the way you run your business and live your life.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat. How often, you say? I'm so glad you asked... I schedule one adventure risk each month (at least) and find myself willing to risk more frequently in my business and in other areas of my life as a result. The practice of taking conscious intentional risks in playful ways is a vital part of my business strategy and I recommend it to all of my clients who want to build the courage to have the business of their dreams.
Risk teaches you about your capacity.
Humans are incredible - and that means you. You are invited to consciously begin a practice of risk-taking that is fun and playful to understand your vast capacity as a human. Challenging your limits shows you just how much you really have inside of you. To fail and succeed. To learn from experience. To courageously get up and try again. To go against the odds and take the leap anyway.
Not only will saying yes to risk increase your capacity to take risks in your business, but it will also increase your confidence, your sense of innate wholeness, and your delight in your ability to create and do what you came here to do.