Taking A Risk
Sometimes remaining stagnant is just as scary as taking a huge risk.
Have you ever turned down an opportunity or declined to take a chance on something because you were afraid of the risk? We hear financial advisors talk about ‘risk management’ in terms of making safe investments for our retirement funds or college savings accounts. The dictionary defines risk management as “the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks. This is followed by the coordinated application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events.” In a nutshell, we take into consideration everything that could go wrong and plan accordingly.
We do that with our finances. We also do that with other areas of our lives. Maybe our jobs– we stay in the same workplace for years (even if we’re burned out, bored, or have no chance of promotion). Or maybe our romantic relationships– we stay with the same person (even if they’re abusive, we’ve grown apart, or we simply don’t love them anymore). Or maybe our friendships– we stay with the same group of friends (even if we’ve outgrown them, we have different values, or we’re at different life stages).
Yeah, and your point is….?
Notice the common denominator in those statements? “We stay with the same….” And I think we do it because it’s a safe choice to make, it’s a ‘known’ factor, we can depend on it, we can predict the outcome. People like predictability, dependability, and simply knowing what to expect.
But there are times when staying with the same ________ (you fill in the blank) is not the best choice. It’s those times when remaining stagnant is just as risky as making the move to change. Staying in the job that has you going no where when your dream is to advance your career. Or staying in the abusive relationship when you know you need to get out. Staying with the same group of friends who don’t appreciate you for how you’ve grown and changed over the years. Unlike risk management for our financial portfolios, in real life– we can’t always manage every risk.
The risk in staying in the same ________ is that you will be the same! And the risk in making a change is that you will be changed. Which risk do you want to take?
If you’re curious about how music therapy and GIM fit into this picture, contact me for more information. I’m always happy to answer your questions!
