Risk or Regret

Have you noticed the difference between people who have followed their dreams and those who live with regrets? Sit in a room filled with retired people. You’ll instantly be drawn to the ones who share the risks they’ve taken. You’ll generally avoid the ones with regrets over all the things they didn’t accomplish.

Let me illustrate. Which story are you drawn to?

1. “I had an opportunity to invest in that restaurant chain early on. I was afraid, so I didn’t do it. I ended up doing fine financially, though.”
2. “Though people advised me against it, I hiked along the Great Wall of China. I broke my leg and had to be airlifted to a hospital. I’m so glad I took that risk.”

I’m willing to bet you were drawn to the second story. While, frankly, that story ended a bit badly, you are excited for the guy because he took a risk. The first person avoided risk and did fine for himself, but the second guy pushed all his poker chips onto the table and experienced a life worth recalling.

I want to be like the second old guy. I’m willing to get a few scrapes and bruises following the dreams God’s given me. I’m willing to break a few bones. I’m willing to make a few mistakes. I don’t want to be the guy who lets the critics hold him back—leaving the end of his life filled with regrets. I want to live a story.

Every great story has critics. It has an antagonist. For some, that means an external enemy trying to hold them back. For some, the enemy is an internal one. They may have believed what an art teacher told them in second grade. They may have been overlooked and bought into the lie that they were worthless. Or they may have given up because they didn’t want to deal with the opposition.

But the great stories—the great heroes we all look up to—overcome those oppositions. They overcome the critics. They ignore the voices that tell them no, and trudge through until the answer is yes.

What story will you live today? What stories will you tell when your hair is filled with gray hair and you’re surrounded by children wanting to hear about you life?

[Blog photo from Mopho.to]