Something that I have noticed in my 30 short years on this planet is the lack of risk taking in the western world.
It was not so long ago that men could only expect to live to their 30s and disease or some other accident would lead to their death.
Now, don’t get me wrong. As impulsive as I am, I do realise the value of planning for the long term. I read recently that a quarter of us will reach the age of 70 so it would be pretty stupid to not plan at all for the future.
But I have noticed that we all take far less risks than perhaps we should.
In every walk of life, those who take risks will get rewards. Whether it’s a man trying to attract a woman or a sportman competing for a title, if you don’t revel in taking risks then you will not succeed highly.
This is an area of my own life that I radically need to improve on. I’m not sure what prevents me. I am a naturally risk averse person and I try to avoid taking risks. But at other times I will take seemingly stupid risks.
For instance, I ride my bicycle without a helmet and I enjoy actively weaving around cars and finding the greatest speed. I have had a couple of close shaves where I have thought to myself “stupid!” but nevertheless I have not changed my style.
And yet in other areas of my life, I don’t take enough risks.
Here’s another example – the English football team have long underachieved. A great reason for that of late is the culture of always “playing it safe”. This leads to what many people call a “one dimensional” style. Compare this to teams from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and beyond. Nearly all of them play with what I call “guile”. Dekes, fakes, whatever you want to call them – they are a key feature of the style of play from these countries.
Someone new to the game might think that they are taking unnecessary risks. But the reality is that when you take risks and profit despite them, you become more and more confident in your ability and the risks actually diminish.
So what is the best way to improve yourself to take more risks and get more out of life. I honestly don’t know the answer to that one. It is clearly a mindset that has been formed by upbringing and experience but I don’t believe that genetics plays a part. Hypnosis, I think, could definitely offer one possible easy route.
What are your own thoughts on risk taking and success in life?