Risk

Risk is nuts. You cannot make it though life without taking risks. If you put too much on the line it will come back to bit you in the butt. If you try not to risk anything, you get nothing. Worse, someone will risk coming and taking what you have. Life is risk. A successful life is risk managed.

Yesterday I paid bills. The day before that I mowed the lawn. There are risks involved here. I might get my identity stolen if I do not take care while paying my bills. I might run over my foot with the lawn mower if I'm not sober and paying attention. I might get heat stroke or pass out from lack of blood to the brain doing either.

Anxiety is a risk. Too much bad stuff happens every day. A bunch of good stuff happens as well. Every five minutes someone is telling you not to sweat making the decision they want you to make. These people are selling you something. Always be aware of people telling you to calm down. What is their motive. Sometimes that nagging voice telling you to get the hell out of there is a good thing.

I cross the street. Not everyone does on a daily basis. People get in their cars and drive around. People are terrified of flying, but they are more likely to die in the car on the way to the airport.

People talk a lot about the risk bankers took before the financial crisis. Some say that the bankers took too much risk. Well, they won for so long that it didn't feel like a long shot any more. Huge Ponzi schemes succeeded until they failed. When people need their money to make ends meet, the money wasn't there for them to rely on. Banking, insurance, the stock market, I would say all of these are based on the same principle as the original Ponzi scheme. Get a bunch of people to pay in. Limit the number of people taking out. Rinse, repeat.

Acting is risk. Performing is risk. Let's face it, performing started out as taking a risk in front of an audience. "Watch this!" The potential of humiliating one's self is a risk. I wonder if all forms of payment are simply compensation for risk. I suppose all forms of employment could be drug kicking and clawing in to the risk category.