For me, without hesitation, I say that it is better to live a life in which risks are taken. The reasons are as follows:
I am one who subscribe to the saying “no venture, no gain.” Only when we take the risks, do we realize our full potential.
Take learning to swim, for example. In order to learn to swim we must plunge into the water first. Initially, we might swallow a bit of water and become disoriented, but gradually our natural ability will take over and we feel at home in the water. If instead of taking the risk of plunging into the water, we take elaborate steps in studying about all aspects of swimming, theorizing about it and then carefully testing things out, we would probably never get to the actual process of swimming. Even if we do learn to swim in this way, the ability obtained thus can never match a person who learned to swim naturally. Furthermore, the joy of swimming freely is vastly greater than that of doing it with measured strokes only.
I remember the period just prior when almost everybody everyday was putting in great efforts to cram in as much knowledge as possible into their heads. Fed up with all this overtly cautious behavior, I took the risk of venturing out to the local multiplex to have a good time. When my friends found out, they thought I was mad to take such risks. Well, let them think what they want, the point is I did not fail in the examinations. In fact, I performed better than many of the so-called cautious students.
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Gymnastic is a form of exercise that is full of risks. Sprained ankles and pulled muscles are common occurrences. There were cases of broken bones and even death resulting from accidents. For most people, gymnastics is definitely out. They do not want to risk their necks. For me and a few other friends, gymnastics is definitely ‘in’. We welcome the risks. I am not advocating foolhardiness. Rather, we should take ‘calculated’ risks. Our teacher tells us the danger involved in certain exercises and certain rules that must be observed to minimize accidents. We acknowledge the dangers, guage our abilities, follow the instructions and then put our best efforts into the exercises. We take the risks and overcome our fears.
It is a fact that I may have sprained ankles and twisted fingers, but the skills that I acquired far outweigh any pain or setback encountered. How wonderful it is to be able to do fly-spring or a somersault, much to the envy of the cautious people. I am grateful too for the health and fitness gymnastics had given me. To be strong and agile is what youth is all about. We will slow down with age, but that will come on its own good time. It is great to be able to enjoy what youth has to offer now. It is better to take the risks and discover our abilities and weaknesses instead of hiding behind our fears and wonder for the rest of our lives whether we could have done something or not. Time and tide wait for no man. We are young once. Either we use our opportunities or see them vanish forever into the past.
Again I must stress that the risks taken should be ‘calculated’ risks. Only a fool will try to fly an aeroplane without any basic training and awareness of the dangers involved. Flying an aeroplane is a very risky job. But if we are to fly we have to be brave enough to take die risks.
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It is thus, the same in other areas of life. If we are to learn something, we have to take risks. If we want something, we have to take risks. There would have been no USA today if nobody had dared to venture out and thus discovered the new world. There would not be Space-shuttles or Airbus-380 if everybody had played it safe on the ground. We would not have any friends if we had not taken the risks of reaching out to other people and maybe have got rejected in return.
Many risks-takers failed in their ventures. Sailors died and a space-shuttles exploded killing all aboard. But we did not stop taking the risks. The discoveries and gains that result from our ventures, know no limits and we go on again to risks what life has to offer.