~A ship is always safe at shore, but that’s not what it’s built for~

What if you could enter into a new relationship with a guarantee it would not fail? Perhaps a new love affair, a business partnership, or simply your next career choice with a new company. Wouldn’t you take it if you were assured your decision would be airtight and you knew it was a sure thing?

My sense is most of us would take this guarantee. After all, why leave anything to chance if you would be assured success? You’d never have to wonder if you were going to consummate the deal. You’d just have to put the wheels in motion and roll with it, going through the motions with the comfort that it will all work out in the end with a positive trajectory. You know you wouldn’t have your heart broken, witness your business crumble, or ever face the humiliation of being terminated. Pretty sweet deal, right?

But the passion comes from the risk. The energy comes from the unknown. The drive to succeed comes from the knowledge that you could easily fail. It is precisely this uncertainty that fuels our fire and motivates us, an internal protective mechanism that determinedly makes us push harder and aspire higher.

The beauty of life is there is no guarantee, no unshakeable certainty. Often, the most rewarding outcomes come from taking a risk i.e.,  there is a direct correlation between risk and reward. The risk may be putting your heart, your desire, your passion or even just your ego out there for the world to stomp on. But the promise of the reward is too great to pass up. Romeo & Juliet put everything on the line to be together despite all odds; Steve Jobs failed miserably before getting it right with Apple (the second time!); U2 risked it all many times and seem to thrive while dangling precariously on the precipice of failure; LeBron James fled his hometown to bring two consecutive titles to Miami with Cleveland fans burning his jersey (and he’s now a Laker!). Your personal story doesn’t need to be on such a grand scale – nor am I suggesting throwing all caution to the wind – but breaking out of our comfort zones can lead to exponential leaps in growth. We grow through adversity, by challenging the status quo and placing ourselves outside of our comfort zone. As they say, whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

So embrace the risk, as this often is the path to realizing your passion. An occasional adrenaline rush running through your veins is not a bad thing. Listen to your heart and let your soul be the guide. And if you fail at your chosen endeavor, dust yourself off and chalk it up to a positive learning experience.  Onward and upward.  After all, nothing ventured nothing gained.