Why Most People Never Take The Risks They Want to in Their Heart
The simple reason is because they’re afraid of how society will view their actions — how their friends and family will view what they are doing.
Stop worrying about what other people think.
I think most of us are afraid of what I call the Thanksgiving Family moment. This is the moment every so often during a family gathering when you’re older family member asks you, “what are you up to?” And you want to sound important and make it seem like you’re doing something pretty important. Oh, I’m getting a doctorate in this or oh I’m in this important business role at this big company.
If what you’re saying to your family member in that moment is what you want to do, by all means, continue to do it. But if its not, why are you wasting time in your life doing something your hearts not into? Who cares what that family member that you see once a year thinks about how you’re living your life? Who cares about the stigma of an entry-level job? If that’s the field you want to be in, you gotta start somewhere right?
Ultimately, when it’s all said and done you look back on your life, your own opinion is the only one that will matter to you. Not your family member judging at the Thanksgiving dinner, not your friend from school, not your cousin. Yours. You will be evaluating the choices you made.
As long as you feel happy with your decisions, that’s all that matters.
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The worst part about reflecting on a former time in your life is feeling like you should’ve done something and you didn’t. The feeling of never knowing what could’ve been will haunt you forever because you’ll never know the answer to that question.
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I’ll put one caveat to my argument above here:
Sometimes, depending on your life situation, it can be hard to do what you truly want to. And I understand that. A breadwinner who has three kids and a mortgage probably shouldn’t just leave his/her stable job and try and start a new business. A decision like that would put a lot financial uncertainty and strain on the family.
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But for those of us who aren’t in a tough situation like that, what’s stopping you from living the live you’ve always wanted to live?