Willing To Take Chances

Life is not a spectator sport. In everything I do - whether it's giving a speech at my Toastmasters club, preparing to send a story or novel off to an editor, starting a new job - I need to be ready to take chances. I can't be content to play it safe anymore.

I've spent most of my life making the safe, sensible choices. But making the safe choice all the time doesn't leave much room for growth. There are times for making safe choices, but there are also times for making riskier choices.

Since I have no dependents, it's easier for me to make riskier choices. If the choices are wrong, no one will be affected but me.Until relatively recently, I avoided taking chances. I wanted my life to be safe and ordered. It might not have been an exciting life, but it was safe.

When I went on a trail ride in Fort Worth last April, I didn't want the horse to go faster than a walk. Although when the wrangler got too far ahead of me, I needed to ask the horse to go into a jog so I could catch up. Next trail ride, I'll ask for the jog. If I'm really brave, I'll ask for the lope. I'm not quite ready for the gallop yet. But I will be. I need to increase the riskiness of my choices step by step.

I took a chance with taking most of my collectible Barbie and Disney Princess dolls to be sold on eBay. The chance paid off and everything sold. When I go to pick up the check, I'll take another chance by taking the rest of my collectible dolls and my NRFB (Never Removed From Box) Breyer model horses, as well as a few other items. It will be less of a chance this time, since the chance paid off last time.

I'll be taking a few chances in education as well. I've started bookmarking websites about online equine courses. Most of them allow students to work at their own pace. On one of them the first class is free. I can only go so far with online studies, though - I'll eventually need to interact with horses up close and personal. I'm planning to get a driver's license and then I'll be able to rent a car to do the coursework that needs to be with real horses and not just online.

Maybe it's easier to take chances now, as the older I get, the less I have to lose. Since I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines, it's time to start making riskier choices!