I’ve always had a desire for improvement. To constantly strive to be the best me I could be. But to improve, everyone must cross the same bridge, risk.

Before I jump, into all of the benefits of taking risks, there is an important distinction to be made. What is the difference between stupidity and risk? A good way to distinguish between the two is a cost-benefit analysis. (a cost-benefit analysis is not just weighing the monetary costs against what you might save but considering the costs to your health, relationships and time as well) Simply put, a risk is when the benefits outweigh the cost. And stupidity is when the costs outweigh the benefits.

For example, the harms of throwing oneself off of a building with no safe landing would be a stupid decision. The cost of eating dairy when you are lactose intolerant, and it isn’t a shake from In-N-Out, is a stupid decision. Now there are exceptions, sometimes you are faced with massive risks, like ending a relationship with a toxic person, or doing the morally right thing when no one else is or starting a company that’s scoffed upon by others. In those instances make the choice that is going to improve you the most.

Now that you have a better idea of what risk is here are some reasons why I love it.

1. It’s up to you. Risk is a conscious decision to step outside of your comfort zone. It’s something you have to decide to do. I, nor anyone else on this earth can make the decision to take risk for you. Completing an 18-mile hike in the Tetons, the longest hike I’ve ever done, was a decision only I could make. If I wanted to accomplish this feat there was only one way I could do it. And that was by putting on my hiking boots and taking the risk. In order for you to achieve your goals, you must face risk, there is no alternative.

2. It’s worth it. Risk is something to get excited about because it’s an opportunity for gain. All of the greatest success have been achieved by taking a risk. There is no example that shows otherwise. Here is some social proof: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Phil Knight, Gandhi, all have a similar storyline of some kind of awakening or calling that leads them toward the same bridge, risk. For Gandhi, the risk was often imprisonment, death threats, and opposition.  If risk seems like an overwhelming force let me present a compelling case for why it’s worth it. If the difference between living the life you want to live and the life you are currently living is risk, why the hell would you let risk hold you back? The regret and lack of fulfillment that comes with avoiding risk should be enough of a deterrent for you to choose risk.

“If the risk involved in the learning process is fake than neither are the rewards”-Scott Barker

3. Against the grain. Taking risk means that you are constantly in motion. For most of us, the risk is asking a question when the answer could be no. Like will you go out with me? Do you like this book I spent months working on? Can I work for your company? But here’s the truth. When people say no, that’s ok. Because the alternative is not asking at all, which keeps you right where you started. You must be committed to you.

Crossing the bridge of risk is a never-ending process, and each time you cross a new opportunity to take risk opens. If complacency makes your skin crawl, you are hungry for growth and knowledge you too will love risk. You won’t achieve your dreams by playing it safe. Become a riskaholic.