The time is now

Think of the last time you contemplated taking a risk.  You can learn to realize that your mind creates a vision of what you think will happen as the result.  Your mind has power to convince you to go ahead with something or not. Did you ever try telling yourself 'the time is now?'

Think of the swimming pool or the polar dip in the early morning back at summer camp. The water wasn't always the most inviting temperature, but you discovered you could psych yourself up to get it over with. Maybe such experiences ignited your anticipation and excitement.  How did you get that adrenalin pumping? Was it the prospect of winning a prize? Was it the prospect of being first? proving you could when others said you couldn't? Did you do it to prove it to them?

In order to take risks, you also need to develop a willingness to make mistakes and to be ready to face disapproval. Realize that you don't have to be afraid of getting results you don't foresee.  The way to tackle challenging issues is to face them head on.  This leads to personal growth. Once you face something that scares you, the fear and self-doubt no longer control your mind.

Ask yourself if you're willing to take chances even when success is not guaranteed. It's wise to assess the varied levels of risk before you jump into any situation.  What would you be willing to lose? What do you think you could gain? Just because a prospective venture differs from anything anyone you know has done doesn't necessarily mean taking the associated risks wouldn't be right for you.  Learn to separate your views from those of others. Be open to opinions, but be weary of basing your own choices on someone else's opinion. After all, who knows you better than you?

It's never too late to take a risk that you might have put off for whatever reason. Be ready to reassess where you are and the nature of your circumstances. The point will come where you may feel you should give yourself a last crack at a dream. As you sense you're getting on in years and may not have the energy or stamina to reach certain goals down the tract, you may find yourself saying, 'now or never.' If you dream of getting involved in a financial venture and the money becomes available, that may indicate the time is now. If your heart has been encouraging you to express feelings toward someone before they marry someone else, listen to your gut. Signs will present themselves. It's in our interest to keep our eyes peeled and act accordingly. 

The unseen and intangible

What is it that causes you to take chances in your life? When you choose to risk losing something that means a lot to you, this requires courage. Your sixth sense may warn you of impending dangers in enough time to avoid them. Then again, you may not heed warnings of your inner voice, or even notice them, and then, taking risks may end up harming you.

What enables you to sense opportunities on the horizon? You may get good vibes after speaking with someone or you may simply develop an attitude that a great career change is around the corner. This kind of positive feeling may motivate you to impulsively attend a casting or submit a resume to a senior manager over an impromptu lunch.

You may reply that unseen and intangible signs enable you to uncover elements of faith.  You may imitate individuals you admire who have taken chances and succeeded along their own paths. Although you may study cause and effect, and gain insight into the spirit of positive thinking, only understanding of your own patterns and characteristics enables you to see the difference between thinking and feeling the nature of a risk. Thinking is grounded in fear. Feeling is guided by love. Notice when you think with the head or feel with the heart.

At some stage, you no longer judge yourself.  So, you come to see everything as experience with the same opportunities to love and accept yourself fully of not.  Now all you do is trust.

When you least expect it

In Australia, the distances between cities are much further than they are in many other countries.  This helps to explain why standard gas tanks are often double the size they are in North America.  I was initially startled by the numbers of signs that appear along highways which say things like, "Power nap now!,"  "Pull over for a snooze," and "15 minutes could save your life."

I friend of mine was driving along Victorian country roads in the early morning rain. He drove for hours without passing any gas stations or homes.  He had only passed cattle and sheep farms.  At one point, he saw the biggest kangaroo he had ever seen coming toward him from the side. He slowed down to a crawl. The animal hopped across the road and continued out of sight. My friend believes that the size of the creature could have completely demolished his car and him. His advice is keep your eyes wide open, and even then roos will appear when you least expect it.

Wherever you are, driving is a privilege with unforeseen risks.  If you see animals and your speed doesn't permit you to stop, turning into a ditch would be less dangerous than a head-on collision. 

What if?

You may be one of those people who thinks about decisions a lot before you finalize them. That may not always be in your best interest if you talk yourself out of things. You may know people who are quick to doubt their potential rather than imagine and act on endless possibilities. Have you ever wondered what if your negative assumptions were wrong? What if those positive outcomes were within your reach?

What if you turn down the chance to attend an industry convention, where you might've met a business owner who would turn out to jumpstart your career?  What if you chose instead to go to this convention, and your networking landed you the most challenging job or your career?

What if you permit shyness to prevent you from approaching a propsective partner with whom it may turn out you have a lot in common? What if you found the courage to speak with this person, and your continued contact led you to fall and love and marry or spend your lives together?A few seonds of courage changes everything.

What if you didn't take the time to investigate a business opportunity because people you know failed and call it a scam.  What if you take a risk to listen to successful people who offer you the tools to create a more balanced life and also to help others duplicate your new kinds of success?

What if you remain where you are, assume evrything has to be as it always has been? What if you experience struggle and despair simply because you refuse to change your attitude? What if you took steps to boost your self-confidence and morale and you discovered the power you have to shape your attitude and visualize and live better?

Remind yourself what fuels perseverence.To surrender to your dreams and permit them to guide and motivate you may seem a bit quirky.  Does this seem to practical or too simple?  Ignoring your dreams may itself be the craziest thing you've ever done. What if you began to perceive your life as it could be rather than as it is right now? What if you allowed your mind to wander and visualize your life as you think it should be? What would that include?

What if your dreams were not extinguished by self-doubt or lack of belief in what you could do? Trust. Creating wealth is not about money. The principal is grounded in adding value to your life and to the lives of others. Find courage to create the life that resonates with yout soul. T he world is your oyster.  Seize each day. Seize each moment. The choice is yours. Make someone' s day because you can. A smile can itself go a long way. 

Sudden flash of insight

During times of sorrow or low  moods, as you learn to listen to yourself, you may come to realize you often repeat a certain phrase. Have you ever uttered the words, "If only..."?  When you stop saying that sort of thing to yourself, you will be surprised what kinds of positive new experiences will unfold in your life.  If you dwell on the negative, you befriend the negative, and invite him into your life to stay.

So, your plans didn't work out as you envisaged. Big deal! Did you ever stop to think that your way is not the only way? A step back might enable you to re-evaluate the situation and realize that you made some errors in judgment.  Perhaps not getting what you wanted has unforeseen advantages.  When you express regret, you aren't permitting yourself to learn from valuable life experiences or to move on.  Why utter bitterness when its too late to retrieve or change anything?

From this moment forward, it makes more sense to focus on the future, not on what you didn't do in the past.  Create a vision and take risks to turn your attention from what is finished to what is just beginning to grow.  Consider what you would do if you found yourself in a similar situation again sometime in the future. Formulate your words accordingly: "Next time, I would..."(rather than do what I did before).  What not give hope a bit of immortality and steal it away from fear.