Texoma Living Well Magazine Summer 2015 | Página 18

Four Ways to Foil Your Fear of Risk

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How, and why, to get out of your comfort zone and take those barrier-busting leaps of faith
By Andy Thompson

ll of us have fears—especially when it comes
to taking risks in our professional and personal lives. In fact, it’s been said that FEAR
stands for “Forget Everything And Run,” which
is a logical reaction given that, by definition,
risk is “the possibility of suffering harm or loss,” and involves “uncertain danger.” However, for me, the word
“risk” evokes a sense of excitement. Of limitless possibility. It reminds me of the famously
insightful notion to “go out on a
limb, because that’s where the fruit
is.” Truer words cannot be spoken
as risk is the preeminent propelling
force that helps companies and individuals, alike, accelerate and
achieve key success benchmarks.
Here are four pieces of wisdom to help
you foil your fear of risk and supercharge positive change in your life:
1. Define and debunk your fears.
Start by defining your fears with
specificity, either in your mind or by
writing them down. During this process, be sure you conceive what you
believe to be the “worst case scenario” and the probability of that coming to fruition. The worst case scenario rarely plays out, so you can rest
easier on that front. Once all of your
fears are itemized, for each and every one detail, how you would move
past it if it were to materialize? Determining the likelihood
of each feared event and how each would be dealt with
can give you an invigorating sense of reassurance.
2. Embrace fear. Did you know nine out of 10 startup companies fail, and that the average millionaire
goes bankrupt at least 3.5 times? Statistically speaking,
some would say that the more times you fail the higher
chance you have of succeeding the next time. With fear,
the key is to not only identify it, but actually take control and use it to drive you towards that which you covet
from afar, stagnated by inaction. And, most importantly, never make a decision based on fear. The process of
understanding your fears, taking calculated risks, and

achieving the success or parlaying the failure into something positive is a far more rewarding journey than a life
lived without any risk-taking, regardless of the outcome.
3. Know when to put fear aside and take a risk. Ideal
situations for risk taking are those where you have the time
and/or resources needed to “rescue” yourself should your
pre-determined worst case scenario present. The risks with
the most at stake are also best taken
when time is on your side and you
can put contingency efforts in place if
needed. It’s also better to take a big
risk when you are stable, such as when
finances and life circumstances are on
your side—optimally when you have
a support system should things take
a turn for the worse. All of that said,
there is another ideal circumstance for
a big risk that’s actually quite the opposite: when your back is against the
wall, and you don’t have that much
to lose. When your only way out is
up, it’s time to take that leap of faith.
4. Leverage failure, don’t fear it.
The most important aspect of leveraging failure is knowing exactly
why you failed. Dissect the situation and identify all possible and
real causes of the breakdown. It can
also be helpful to enlist the help of
a third party who can lend objective outside perspective and provide
neutral insight. Only from a comprehensive understanding of what went wrong can you move forward with
the same confidence with which you started. The second most important part is not losing hope. Don’t let
failure consume you, but rather use it as a learning tool
and a resource that will help you attain your next goal.
Before you embark upon an anxiety-provoking or downright
frightening journey rife with risks, measure your resolve by
first asking yourself if you are willing to go through four
defeats to achieve the fifth win that makes you a success.
Remember: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” No
guts, no glory!

Andy Thompson is an international faith leader, life coach, cultural commentator and
pastor of one of America’s 50 largest congregations. As a highly regarded speaker, Thompson
shares his inspirational message for realizing personal and professional success through
conferences, books and through media outlets worldwide.
He may be reached at www.AndyThompson.tv or via Twitter @PastorAndyWOCC.
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TEXOMA AREA Living Well Magazine | SUMMER 2015