The Risk of Success

There is no victory without risking defeat.

When you think of risk, what do you feel? Excited about what you could win, or scared about what you could lose?

We often think of risk in terms of what’s at stake to lose.

When you apply for a job, you risk being rejected.
When you shoot the basketball at the hoop, you risk missing the shot.
Heck, just about everything you do carries varying degrees of risk.

But what if we started thinking of risk in terms of success? While the definition of “risk” talks about the negatives, let’s frame it this way.

When you apply for a job, there is a risk that you will be accepted for the position.
When you shoot the basketball, there is a risk that the ball will go in.
When you reach out to unfamiliar people, there is a risk that they will accept you and become your friends.

The truth is: these victories and wins don’t come without the possibility that you lose.