Risking a Rolling Stone

A number of people in my life have been taking big risks and making big changes in their lives. Several friends are moving abroad, taking jobs in Kuwait and Australia. My sister is quitting her “day job” to pursue her own company (Rustic Trunk) full time. Another friend quit a job with a large company to become one of five employees in a small startup. Yet another decided to have a second child. Personal and professional, family and friends: all are making big changes and taking risks in the name of improvement and growth.

Watching these people in my life make such big changes has left me feeling like a rock in a swirling tide. Being a rock can be good, of course—everyone needs a firm foundation for support in times of change—but the stability can also be, well, stagnant and boring. And in the face of such opportunity lately, my rock is starting to feel boring.

I’m not ready to pack my bags for a foreign country, but I have started looking for opportunities to take small risks in my life. To me, risk is powerful. Taking risks can be scary, but it’s also thrilling. It doesn’t have to be a big, life-changer to generate excitement and provide the opportunity for personal improvement. Even a little change allows you to stretch and grow.

To that end, I convinced several friends to join a rock climbing class with me. I also signed up for my first-ever Pilates class (and given my inflexibility, this will be a stretch—literally). Neither of these are really on par with launching my own business, but the risk of taking on something new, the potential  to find a new hobby to love—or hate—is still exciting.

So, in the spirit of spring and growth, I ask you: Where you can identify opportunities to take a risk in your own life? Maybe it’s signing up for a new task force or project at work. Maybe it’s starting a new workout regimen. Maybe it’s submitting your resume for your dream job. Or maybe it’s buying those two-inch heels in the bold new color and daring to wear them for an entire work day.

Whatever the risk, I invite you to join the swirling tide—send your stone rolling and enjoy the ride.