A few years ago we were with some other families sitting around the campfire roasting marshmellows. Adults and teenagers shared thughts with one another, the generational differences sometimes obvious, and other times easily forgotten.
One topic we all found interesting dealt with “ our regrets”, a topic where the generational differences became most prominent. The teens seemed to be very attentive to hearing what their parents and the other adults most regretted.
The regret I shared at the time and still hold today is, “I wish I had taken more risks.”
“We cease taking risks for fear of getting hurt. While universal, the drawback is to retreat without ever reaching for the treasures we long for,” Fahkry says early in this article. His words certainly reflect how I feel and are the basis of the best advice you can give others: Take more risks.
When my wife and I married, she had never been out of the state. We left the state to honeymoon at the Grand Canyon even though she was reluctant about it. But it was a transformative experience for her and we now travel as far and as often as our schedules and budget will allow.
As I look back over my life now, I recognize that I had a great career that I excelled in and enjoyed, but along the way there were a few opportunities I backed away from. I was afraid to risk what I had for what I might have. Today, I often feel like I opted for a life far less satisfying than the one some simple risks may have given me.
I have found that my regret about not taking more risks is pretty much the same regret my closest friends, all retirees, also feel. While it is important to realize the difference between risks and gambles, usually the risks are far less dangerous than we worried they might be.
Go ahead. Take the risks. The fullness of life and of living is in the risks we take.
