Risk or Safety Net

This week’s journal entry:

Do you prefer to take risks, or are you more of a safety net person?

By Laura Black

            I prefer having a safety net. I will take a risk from time to time, but I’m not big on change or the unknown. I like to plan things out; I’m not one for last-minute planning. To me, risks go with last-minute planning and change. That’s not really me.

            A safety net can mean many things. To me, the safety net relates to having family and friends that are always there for me as well as having a stable job. The safety net also means having a steady routine. As I said, I’m not one for change. I seriously get anxious about change. What makes me seriously anxious is last-minute change. I plan everything out, so when I’m asked to do something last-minute, I get all worked up.

            Risk is so hard for me because it involves me to put myself out there and be vulnerable, which I don’t like doing. I like to stick with what I know. Part of what I don’t like about risk is the unknown. I tend to overthink everything, so to take a risk, I think about every little detail and what could go wrong. That makes me anxious and makes me want to stick with what I know. If I am going to take a risk, I need to not think about it much.

            My husband, on the other hand, is a risk-taker. He has made me get out of my safety net from time to time, and I have to say, I’m thankful for that. We all need to take risks from time to time because risks can open us up to more than we realized. For example, my husband got me to snorkel in the ocean. I’m not a strong swimmer, so I never thought I would do that. I was always scared of the thought of snorkeling, but he got me to try it. I was so nervous, but he started me off slow. We started in a shallow part of the ocean in Jamaica. The following year, we did an entire vacation in Curacao based on visiting different beaches throughout the island to snorkel. If he had not gotten me to take that risk, I would not have realized how amazing snorkeling is and the beauties underwater.

This is me after making it into The Blue Room in Curacao. We had to swim underwater and into a cave. I had to not think about it and take the risk. It was scary, but I was so proud of myself for going out of my comfort zone.

Some of the beauties underwater.

More of the beauties underwater.

           

Me underwater checking out the view. So glad I took the risk of trying snorkeling.

           For day to day living, I will stick to my daily planning and my safety nets of what I know; however, taking risks from time to time can be a good thing. For me, I need not overthink it and just go for it. If not, no risks will be taken. What about you? Are you a risk-taker, or do you prefer a safety net?