Jump and a net will appear. I am not sure who coined the phrase, I know it is the title of at least one book. Anyway, it is one of Erik’s favorites. He and I couldn’t be more different in this respect. My motto, “slow and steady wins the race.” If we are talking Aesop’s Fables, I am so tortoise.
They say opposites attract. I think in our views on risk, that’s correct. If I had my way, I would live as a Shaker, spin my own yarn and rotate my crops diligently. Erik would rather not use maps, plan ahead or use a schedule. Opposites.
But now there is no escaping risk. Not having a job is a risk. Taking the wrong job is a risk. Even having a job is a risk. So now, what the #$)* do we do? What any rational two people with a mortgage would do…take a really huge risk. We jump into a new business idea.
As I fret about this jump with Erik, I reach for the slow-and-steady person’s favorite book of comfort, the dictionary. Risk, as defined by Merriam Webster: exposure to possible loss or injury: Danger, Peril. OK, so that did not comfort me. So I called a very good friend. As usual, she gave me sound advice, “If you and Erik don’t try this now, you will wonder about it the rest of your lives.” That made me feel better.
But what is risk? If I take the definition literally, then there is no upside. We are walking into a Fellowship of the Ring style gauntlet of pain. Then there is the quote, “with great risk comes great reward.” That’s more Return of the King, almost everyone gets out alive and evil is thwarted.
I guess then, everything is a risk. If we waited until everything was perfect and in place, we would never do anything. There’s really never is a good time to do whatever it is we are contemplating. We just have to do it.
So I am jumping, and when I open my eyes, I bet there will be a net.
11 Comments
“On Risk,” written by my wife Kathryn for PFTA: http://bit.ly/uncNv
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Another excellent post Kathryn.
Sort of like having children, I guess…
You’re never really ready….but here goes.
Best of luck.
I prefer the Chinese definition of risk being the combination of two characters: Danger and Opportunity. There’s potential for great things if you’re willing to go out on a limb.
“On Risk,” a guest-post written by my wife Kathryn for PFTA: http://bit.ly/uncNv
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
As far as I can tell, the riskiest thing you can ever do is play it safe.
Hi Kathryn,
I think that when you take a risk thoughtfully, understanding the consequences yet knowing that at the end of the day you could bring some good to this world, well, that’s called courage.
Look at what you are doing – you are taking a risk to start a business that provides jobs to people in a time when what they need most in this world *right now* is jobs.
The two of you have a lot of supporters, a lot of fans for what you’re doing. People are your safety net.
Best of luck, and keep your eyes open. It’s half the fun.
“On Risk” How scary is it to start a new business in this economy? From @proulx’s Please Feed the Animals blog ~ http://bit.ly/uncNv
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
“On Risk” How scary is it to start a new business in this economy? From @eproulx’s blog ~ http://bit.ly/uncNv
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Love the post, and best of luck. I can sense the passion; now comes the hard work! Keep us posted and let us know if we can be of any assistance.
Mark
Great thoughts! The riskiest thing I have ever done is think that I should stick it out in a miserable job (ok, several of them) because I had a good steady paycheck while everyone else was getting laid off. I listened to that conditioned voice in my head that robotically repeated that mantra of paycheck, benefits, security, because that’s how everyone else “does it”. Reminded me of that song from the 80’s: birth, school, work, death. The best thing I ever did was QUIT. In the worst “economic downturn ever seen” NPR would bleat at me every morning. But NOT quitting was worse and surely would kill me – from the inside-out. I had NO job lined up and NO freelance contracts signed. . But I *knew* it was right, spruced my resume and Linkedin profile up and talked to everyone I knew and within 2-3 weeks I was swamped and have been ever since – that was about 3 months ago. Risk + Thought + Heart = Reward. Best to you!
Great post, very interesting thoughts. In life, business and relationships there are always risk, I think that’s what makes life such an adventure. The way I look at is taking risks is fine as long as they are calculated. I wouldn’t ascribe to either extreme that you point out above, but maybe somewhere in between. Take risks where you feel necessary and somewhat comfortable, but personally I wouldn’t jump and hope for the net to be there.
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