Leaving aside the famous '80s teen comedy that consecrated the then 21-years-old Tom Cruise as a star and the creative alcoholic suggestions of Urban Dictionary, a "risky business" is, by definition of Merriam-Webster, "a situation or activity that involves the possibility of being hurt".
There is indeed a reason behind our habit to consider taking a risk in life as... risky. Because, well, it is.
Sometimes, taking a risk means experiencing a blow that may be painful in the short-term and yet life-changing in the long-term.
[While thinking about this question,
let's keep in mind how resilient and brave you can be]
What can make the difference is our trust in our self-efficacy and resilience: Believing that, no matter what, we will survive and thrive, can make taking a risk less scary in our eyes.
There may be a lot of good coming from taking a risk, like in the old saying "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”, way too often attributed to Benjamin Franklin but actually already attested in English since the 14th century.
Apparently, even 600 years ago taking a risk was something that felt hard for many.
Even if not every risk will come to us with an end-user guarantee, being able to recognize which ones are worth taking is golden. With such a skill, "If you don't try, you will never know" can suddenly sound quite seducing,
Taking a risk is often necessary for experiencing growth, long-lasting change, and a significant improvement in comparison to what would have happened without taking the risk.
In the end, we will never know if we don't try.
Coaching question of the day:
"Where in your life are you willing to take a risk?"
Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Self-reflection, Taking a risk, Resilience, Self-efficacy, Old proverbs, Risky business
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