Living your life to the fullest.
Going after your dream.
Being true to yourself...it's risky business.
One of the million and one reasons why I am lucky to be a member of the WWWPs (an infamous writing critique group) is they are all risk-takers. None of them are afraid of their next step.
Beth quit her high-paying job to start up her own business. Three kids at home (two of them teenagers) and single motherhood added to the scary factor. But she continues to hammer away at getting new clients and going after new opportunities...
Linda has enough grandkids...in her spare time she could be content to make cookies for her grandbabies (or just eat the raw cookie dough herself and deprive them of goodies, which is what I would do), and yet she submits to more places by 5:17 in the morning--every day--than most people do in a week. Linda doesn't think, 'What if I lose out on this chance?' Instead, she thinks, 'What do I have to lose?'
Tammy is the quiet one, the one who does things unbeknownst to the group and then when we get wind of the results of her work, we're blown away. Everyone knows the phrase "still waters run deep," right? Well, Tammy submits stories and enters contests without talking about them. She doesn't just talk the talk--she walks the walk as well. Recently, she was a Reader's Digest winner. The flashy true story was just like what she brings to our critique meetings twice a month--we all become fly-catchers as our mouths gape open--but she quietly crafted it and sent it off...without a thought to what her chances were. There are writers I know (I just looked at one of them in the mirror this morning) who heard of the contest but shot themselves down before they even had the chance to try. Tammy was willing to take the risk.
And if you haven't had the chance to read her winning story, check it out.
Lynn was the first of our group to try NaNoWriMo--many years ago. Writing a novel-length manuscript is not for the knock-kneed, and Lynn has successfully "won" with NaNo more than one year. She also is brave enough to never turn away from her personal journey as a writer. Lynn has several long projects she's juggling, she goes to conferences to grow as a writer and as a human being, and--of the five of us--I think she lives the truest writer's life. She writes/journals/sketches/revises every day. It's part of her daily ritual. And putting one foot in front of the other--taking that first step every day--takes a lot of courage.
What kind of risks have you taken recently (or at any point in your life)?
or
Who is the biggest, most bad-a** risk-taker you know? (My nosey nose wants to know.)
