July 13 – Cultivating a Positive Attitude Towards Risk Taking

“You only live once – but if you work it right, once is enough.” Joe E. Lewis

Developing a positive attitude towards risk is crucial for personal growth and success. Elissa Epel, in The Stress Prescription, emphasizes the importance of viewing stress as a source of positive energy. She explains that stress boosts our energy by making extra glucose available, which helps to build a mindset of positive and creative energy. By setting up the conditions for success, this regenerative energy can propel us forward without leading to burnout. Epel suggests choosing positive thoughts and challenge statements to transform stress into a potent resource for success.

Allison Shrager, in An Economist Walks into a Brothel, highlights our natural aversion to loss, which sometimes leads us to take bigger risks than we should. She explains that our perception of risk is often skewed by how it is presented to us. We may assume certainty where there is none or believe something unlikely is probable. By understanding that our perception of risk is subjective, we can start to cultivate a more balanced and positive attitude towards taking risks.

“Let’s take to the streets with our messy, imperfect, wild, stretch-marked, wonderful, heartbreaking, grace-filled, and joyful lives.” Brené Brown

To become more comfortable with risk-taking, it is essential to adopt practical strategies. Allison Shrager points out that more data allows us to measure risk more accurately, and technology helps us interpret this data quickly to make informed decisions. She also discusses the concept of hedging, which involves protecting ourselves from potential losses by counterbalancing actions. This strategy helps strike a balance between risk and safety, making us more comfortable with taking calculated risks.

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, in Designing Your Life, advocate for the technique of reframing problems. They explain that reframing is how designers get unstuck and ensure they are addressing the right problem. Life design involves key reframes that allow us to step back, examine our biases, and open up new solution spaces. By reframing dysfunctional beliefs that prevent us from finding the careers and lives we desire, we can become more adept at risk-taking. Reframing is essential for identifying the right problems and solutions, thereby making us more comfortable with taking risks.

“Pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” Maya Angelou

Embracing failure as a learning opportunity is a vital aspect of developing the quality of risk-taking. Julie Smith, in Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, stresses the importance of talking to someone we trust about our failures. Concealing shame only perpetuates it, while sharing helps us recognize the common human experience of shame after failure. Trusted friends can help us stay accountable for our mistakes and support us in moving forward.

Smith also advises against using "I am" statements that internalize failure. Instead, she suggests staying specific about the behavior that led to the failure, acknowledging that it does not define us. Understanding that feeling shame is a normal human response, and reminding ourselves that it is temporary, can help us build resilience and learn from our mistakes.

“I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk…Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.” Oprah Winfrey

Burnett and Evans, reiterate the importance of reframing problems to get unstuck. By examining our biases and opening up new solution spaces, we can turn failures into valuable learning experiences. Reframing dysfunctional beliefs helps us find the right problems and solutions, enabling us to take future risks with greater confidence and insight.

Developing the quality of risk-taking involves cultivating a positive attitude towards risk, adopting practical strategies to become more comfortable with risk-taking, and learning from failure. By embracing these principles, we can transform our approach to risk, leading to personal growth, professional success, and a more fulfilling life.

Activity –

Outdoor Survival Skills Training: Attend workshops or courses on outdoor survival skills such as navigation, fire-making, and wilderness first aid. These activities challenge you to manage risks effectively in natural environments while building resilience and self-reliance.

In today's increasingly digital world, it's easy to lose sight of what makes us human. The constant bombardment of screens and social media can distract us from cultivating essential qualities like kindness, empathy, and resilience.

My book, Nurturing Hopeful Resilience,  guides parents and caregivers through the challenges of raising children in a technology-driven age. It explores the importance of instilling strong values in children from a young age to help them develop into compassionate, responsible, and fulfilled individuals.

Through a series of practical exercises and insightful reflections, this book delves into fourteen core values: curiosity, awareness, kindness, learning, self-awareness, fairness, playfulness, compassion, service, belonging, trustworthiness, authenticity, community, and responsibility. Understanding and nurturing these values can empower our children to thrive in a complex and ever-changing world.

This book offers a roadmap for raising children who are academically successful, emotionally intelligent, socially adept, and morally grounded. It encourages readers to prioritize human connection, empathy, and compassion over material possessions and fleeting digital distractions. By embracing the power of values, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and generations to come.