A Risk Worth Taking
A Risk Worth Taking
“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” - Denis Waitley
I believe that the key to a full and happy life is risk-taking. Having audacity is necessary to chase our dreams, and taking chances is essential to achieve greatness. Perhaps the greatest risk that I have taken in my life was turning down a full-time job to follow my dream of becoming a teacher. I traded comfort and security for newness and uncertainty in order to pursue a degree in early childhood education.
After high school graduation, I was working two part-time jobs- one as a cashier and assistant manager at Ford City Riverside Market, and the other as a bank teller. After working both jobs for nearly three years, I was offered a full-time job at the bank. At the very same time, I bad been researching degrees in education. I had previously come to the disheartening realization that I was not content with where my life was going. Banking didn’t make me happy. It was a job, but I wanted something more. I longed to have a deeper sense of purpose in life; to be a part of something bigger. I wanted to help others in a way that meant more than just money.
After a great deal of soul-searching, struggling with myself in search for the right decision, I finally realized that there was no “right” decision. There would be no way of knowing what was right or wrong until I put myself out there. I knew that I could not just sit back and do nothing. I could not live my life not knowing; forever wondering, “What if?” I decided to quit my job at the bank, begin a job as a substitute teacher’s aide, and enroll in college online. Although it meant leaving my comfort zone, changing jobs, working more hours to pay for college, and risking financial failure, I knew that if I wanted my life to change, I had to be the one to change it. I had to take a chance.
To this day, I do not know if the decision I made was the
“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” - Denis Waitley
I believe that the key to a full and happy life is risk-taking. Having audacity is necessary to chase our dreams, and taking chances is essential to achieve greatness. Perhaps the greatest risk that I have taken in my life was turning down a full-time job to follow my dream of becoming a teacher. I traded comfort and security for newness and uncertainty in order to pursue a degree in early childhood education.
After high school graduation, I was working two part-time jobs- one as a cashier and assistant manager at Ford City Riverside Market, and the other as a bank teller. After working both jobs for nearly three years, I was offered a full-time job at the bank. At the very same time, I bad been researching degrees in education. I had previously come to the disheartening realization that I was not content with where my life was going. Banking didn’t make me happy. It was a job, but I wanted something more. I longed to have a deeper sense of purpose in life; to be a part of something bigger. I wanted to help others in a way that meant more than just money.
After a great deal of soul-searching, struggling with myself in search for the right decision, I finally realized that there was no “right” decision. There would be no way of knowing what was right or wrong until I put myself out there. I knew that I could not just sit back and do nothing. I could not live my life not knowing; forever wondering, “What if?” I decided to quit my job at the bank, begin a job as a substitute teacher’s aide, and enroll in college online. Although it meant leaving my comfort zone, changing jobs, working more hours to pay for college, and risking financial failure, I knew that if I wanted my life to change, I had to be the one to change it. I had to take a chance.
To this day, I do not know if the decision I made was the