Why You Should Always Take The Leap Instead Of The Safe Route

Usually, the most successful people we know are the ones who are the least risk-averse.

They are the ones who step out with nothing but faith to fall back on.

Figuratively speaking, they are the ones who jump the cliff without knowing whether or not the parachute will open.

In one way or another, all of the celebrities we aspire to be like, the athletes we look up to, and the entrepreneurs we want to emulate, all punted the traditional system as we know it today.

They forewent the standard route and went against the grain when the opportunity presented itself.

For some of us, doing this comes naturally. It's ingrained in our thought process. For others, taking this leap can be terrifying and paralyzing.

Every day we're all faced with different choices.

Some are easy and others can be life-altering.

Regardless of the magnitude of our decisions, the things we do decide, consciously or subconsciously, will dictate where our life will take us 5, 10 years down the road.

It can take us toward a life where we achieve everything we've ever envisioned or it can take us down a path that leaves us asking ourselves, "What if?"

Even though you might feel more comfortable taking the "safe route," let me explain to you why you might want to take the leap even though you're afraid:

1. You'll always regret the opportunities you didn't take, not the ones you did. Regret is one of the worst feelings you can ever experience. There are plenty of people who reach a certain age, realize they can't take advantage of the things they once could have and now deal with regret every day of their life. You'll hear them constantly talk about the things they wish they could have done, the chances they missed out on and the times when they didn't do something out of doubt or uncertainty. I'm sure you can even remember times in your life when you wish you would have acted. Whether it was talking to that girl or boy, taking that trip across the country when you had the time or quitting that job you hated to start your own thing. Don't let regret control the rest of your life. Use it as fuel to do the things that scare the shit out of you. Always remember that everything you want is on the other side of that fear.
2. There's no glory in playing it safe. Safe never gets remembered. Going back to some of the most revered and respected people in history, almost all of them stepped out on a limb and took chances that others we're afraid to take. They did things in spite of adversity. They stood up when others sat down. They were innovators, creators, leaders, and revolutionaries. And for these reasons, they'll forever be remembered. "Safe" doesn't get you history books. "Safe" doesn't lead to new movements. "Safe" doesn't create a legacy and sustainability. If you want to have what others don't have – you have to be willing to do what others won't do.
3. Despite what you might think, security doesn't really exist. Whenever I would hear people talk about walking away from a corporate job to do their own thing, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is, "What about my security, benefits and retirement plan?" While this is a reasonable concern, especially for someone who has mouths to feed or a family to take care, security is a facade in any aspect of life. The reason being is that you could get fired tomorrow and still lose all of that anyway. It's not likely, but it could happen. So while you may have stability, security is all in your imagination. I would even argue that you're more secure starting your own shit as opposed to working for someone else's because you're in control. The bottom line is that everything in life is a gamble in one way or another. But I'd bet on myself over anyone else any day of the week.
4. Taking risks makes you more courageous. From the time I was young, people called me fearless. I would do things other kids were terrified of doing. I would make daredevil-like jumps from the jungle gym onto the ground or my bunk bed onto the floor. I would try to ride every roller coaster in the park and be the first in line for every activity on field trips. As I got older, I realized that it wasn't that I was fearless in all of these cases. I just had more courage than other kids. The difference between the two was that I intentionally thought about the things I did beforehand. No matter how afraid I was, I still did it despite that fear being there. Taking inherent risks gives you more courage to try new things in life. It liberates you from the imaginary handcuffs that so many people have when it comes to branching out and being open-minded. Taking those risks at a young age has given me the confidence to explore new things as an adult to ultimately figure what I love to do and who I am as an individual. Risks lead to having courage and courage can lead to self-discovery and strength.

With all of this being said...

If you feel stuck in between a relatively safe, trustworthy decision, and a risky, life-changing decision, think about making the latter.

Think about what your future could look like. Think about what your life could be like. Think about achieving everything you ever wanted. And if that vision isn't clear enough or enough to convince you, I'll leave you with this story about Jeff Bezos and how he started Amazon.

At the time Bezos was just 30 and had been married for a year.

He told his wife MacKenzie that he wanted to quit his job and go do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most startups don’t, and wasn’t sure what would happen after that.

After much consideration, he ultimately took the less safe path to follow his passion.

Along with that, he had his wife who encouraged and trusted him to go for it.

But not everyone was on board. Bezos's boss took a walk with him through Central Park and told Bezos that, while it sounded like a “really good idea,” it would be an even better idea for somebody who didn’t already have a good career.

“That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision,” says Bezos. “Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.

25 years later and now Bezos is the CEO of one of the biggest and most powerful companies of all time as well as one of the richest men on the planet today.

So whenever you reach a crossroads between the safe route and taking the leap, do your future self a favor and jump. And no matter what happens, don't ever look back.

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