Does fortune really favour the brave?
Why the greatest experiences of my life have all been the result of a risk well taken…
I’ve always believed that in order to live a happy and fulfilling life, it is necessary to take risks. After all, fortune favours the brave.
It is this mantra which has previously has led me to gamble relationships, jobs and the contents of my piggy bank in order to pursue various dream — most significantly quitting a secure career in the middle of a recession to move to Australia.
While these gambles have predominantly paid off in my favour, my steadfast belief in risk-taking has recently begun to waver, as I’ve witnessed an increasing number of risk-averse friends experiencing the joys associated with more ‘sensible’ and long-term decision making, such as home ownership, career success and parenthood…. the solid foundations of which, it seems, they were laying while I was off having fun.
Admittedly these major life decisions can be risky in their own right (having a baby requires a significant leap of faith), however they tend to be of the more calculated, sensible and well-thought-out variety, and are generally born of planning and commitment rather than a taste for adventure. It’s like putting your savings in investments rather than staking them on a game of roulette.
“The greater the risks we take in life, the greater our chances of both winning and losing big”.
While I have always believed that ‘playing it safe’ equals settling for second best, I concede that its possible I’ve got it wrong. Does a life full of adventure guarantee a life full of happiness, or is it better to seek pleasure from the good life rather than the high life?
Fuelled by several pints of beer, and a subsequent clarity regarding the meaning of life, a friend once hypothesised that everyone experiences the same amount of happiness in life, but simply chooses to ‘spend’ their quotas in different ways. As with money, some people use it carefully — spending a little every day over the course of a lifetime — whilst others go on major spending sprees, only to quickly run out of reserves and be forced to live frugally off beans on toast (or in this case happy memories) while they work out how to replenish the coffers.
Whilst flawed in the cold (sober) light of day, I mostly agree with the theory — the premise of which is essentially that happiness is inherently linked to risk taking. Much like gambling, the greater the risks we take in life the greater our chances of winning, and losing, big. People who opt to live risk-averse lives are less likely to encounter failure or disappointment, but are equally less likely to experience the addictive feelings of euphoria and unadulterated joy.
“If you want the rainbow, sometimes you’ve got to put up with the rain”
It would be easy to assume that gambling results in two possible outcomes — success or failure. But I suspect more often than not it results in a bit of both. The more risks we take, the greater quantities of both happiness and unhappiness we’re likely to experience.
While the gamble of quitting my job and moving to Australia (where I ultimately stayed for 4 years) bought me a lot of joy and happiness, it also had its downsides. Living abroad, I frequently experienced homesickness, missed out on landmark occasions such as weddings and family get-togethers back home, and frittered away money that could have been more sensibly squirrelled away in a house-fund or savings account. But I know that was the price (both figuratively and literally) I had to pay for the opportunity to explore the world and experience a different lifestyle. Waking up every morning to the sun shining over Bondi beach usually made it seem worthwhile.
Having returned to the UK last year to be closer to family and friends, the consequences of my decision to move abroad are still clearly visible around me. While many of my friends have now moved onto buying their second full-size family homes, I am subletting a ‘cosy’ studio apartment in North London, which still has a coin-paid electricity meter. Instead of climbing the corporate career ladder I have spent endless soul-destroying afternoons applying, unsuccessfully, for jobs. My bank account is fast approaching the red, my wardrobe hasn’t been overhauled in at least least three years, and doubt is setting in regarding whether I will ever break the cycle of living like a poverty stricken student. Overall it’s been a tough and unsettling year.
If I had a more risk-averse personality it’s possible I would have experienced less heartache, disappointment and anxiety in my life. I almost certainly would have made better financial choices, and I may have laid the foundations for a more stable and secure future. And yet the greatest memories, stories and experiences of my life have almost all been the direct result of a risk well taken…
To quote the wise philosopher Dolly Parton, “If you want the rainbow sometimes you’ve got to put up with the rain”. Personally I don’t mind a bit of drizzle from time to time. But I prefer the blue skies over Bondi beach.
