In life there is a gap between the possibilities we have and what we make out of them. In fact, we don’t jump on most good opportunities because we don’t see them. But some of the ones we see, often the ones that get us excited, also scare us. And only few of those exciting and scary opportunities tickle us enough to pursue them regardless of how frightened we are.

I believe that when we look back at our lives we don’t want to have regrets about how little we made out of the possibilities that were given to us. We may make the wrong choices at times, those are just part of life, but I don’t think we want to look back and feel like “life has lived us”, because we were too passive.

Can you remember those situations growing up that scared you, like getting a shot, learning to swim, asking for a date, the first day at a new school? In most cases it seems funny that we were scared. Back then the reason for being frightened was either that we knew something bad, e.g. painful would happen or at least it was possible to end in a painful situation. Those fears haven’t changed a bit, have they?

As a kid, do you think you would have gotten a shot if you had been given the choice? The pain of a shot versus the possibility of getting chicken pox?

Individual risk is a complicated topic. (more…)