Risk

It’s been a pretty tough month for me and there are a lot of things I could write here about it, but I’m just not ready yet. So, instead, I’m going to share a poem that a friend of mine sent me recently. I think it sums up the way I’m feeling now pretty well. Enjoy.

"To Risk"

by William Arthur Ward

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,/
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental./

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,/
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self./

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss./

To love is to risk not being loved in return,/
To live is to risk dying,/
To hope is to risk despair,/
To try is to risk failure./

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing./

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing./

He may avoid suffering and sorrow,/
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live./

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom./

Only a person who risks is free.