Risky Business

images riskAt 4:00 AM, I woke up to the sound of heavy rain hitting the roof.  It was a raging downpour. I sat up for a moment and said to my husband, “It’s raining hard.” The alarm was set to go off at 4:30 so we could make it downtown for Ride Cincinnati—

a bike ride to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. We had plans to ride 63 miles, but didn’t want to ride in the rain.

 

The next time that I woke up was 7:00 AM. I couldn’t figure out how I had slept in. I discovered that my husband had turned off the alarm when he heard me say that it was raining. He had assumed that it would rain all morning and he didn’t want to take a chance in the ride. I was willing to take that risk, but it was too late for that.

 

Disappointed in the turn of events, I suggested that we go out for our own ride. I checked the weather for the morning and the forecast predicted that there was a 0% chance of rain, continuing into the afternoon. When we left the house, the sun was actually out.  That didn’t last long as we biked further and further out.  I trusted the forecast, so we continued on our ride until I began to feel the sprinkles on my helmet.  “It will pass,” I said, trying to convince myself.  It didn’t pass— the sprinkles turned into a steady rain.

 

At first, it really didn’t bother me until the steady rain turned into a much heavier, cold rain. We stopped under a bridge and waited, hoping that the rain would let up.  It didn’t. Finally, we decided to just ride the two miles to the restaurant and eat lunch.  As soon as we got there, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  With my clothes dried and my stomach full, I felt much, much better.

 

The moment we got on our bikes after lunch, the sun went in.  We were 10 minutes into our ride back home when it began to rain again.  Yes, even with a 0% chance, the rain became steady, miserable and cold. I was unhappy, soaked to the skin and freezing cold. And then it happened.

 

My husband asked me to look at his tire because it felt “strange” to him.  I said that I was sure it was nothing— wishful thinking.  He stopped and assessed his bike tire, which was flat.  On cue, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour.  I accepted the fact that there was nowhere to take cover on the bike trail. There I was, trying to read him instructions on my phone while attempting to keep the device dry in the pouring-down rain. My hands were numb from the cold and my clothing was soaked. Fun was not being had by either one of us.

 

Now, here’s the irony of the whole situation: I found out that it never rained during the morning event. If we had taken part in this, we would have enjoyed beautiful weather. However, we made our decision because we didn’t want to take the risk.

 

Risk.  Everyday, you make decisions while weighing your risks buy generic propecia.  Often, this measure of risk holds you back from experiences that you would enjoy and benefit from in life. Sometimes, the risk appears much bigger in your head than it is in reality.

I’m not saying to ignore the risk, but be sure to take some chances. Don’t allow yourself to miss out on life.

Risky Business

images riskAt 4:00 AM, I woke up to the sound of heavy rain hitting the roof.  It was a raging downpour. I sat up for a moment and said to my husband, “It’s raining hard.” The alarm was set to go off at 4:30 so we could make it downtown for Ride Cincinnati—

a bike ride to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. We had plans to ride 63 miles, but didn’t want to ride in the rain.

 

The next time that I woke up was 7:00 AM. I couldn’t figure out how I had slept in. I discovered that my husband had turned off the alarm when he heard me say that it was raining. He had assumed that it would rain all morning and he didn’t want to take a chance in the ride. I was willing to take that risk, but it was too late for that.

 

Disappointed in the turn of events, I suggested that we go out for our own ride. I checked the weather for the morning and the forecast predicted that there was a 0% chance of rain, continuing into the afternoon. When we left the house, the sun was actually out.  That didn’t last long as we biked further and further out.  I trusted the forecast, so we continued on our ride until I began to feel the sprinkles on my helmet.  “It will pass,” I said, trying to convince myself.  It didn’t pass— the sprinkles turned into a steady rain.

 

At first, it really didn’t bother me until the steady rain turned into a much heavier, cold rain. We stopped under a bridge and waited, hoping that the rain would let up.  It didn’t. Finally, we decided to just ride the two miles to the restaurant and eat lunch.  As soon as we got there, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  With my clothes dried and my stomach full, I felt much, much better.

 

The moment we got on our bikes after lunch, the sun went in.  We were 10 minutes into our ride back home when it began to rain again.  Yes, even with a 0% chance, the rain became steady, miserable and cold. I was unhappy, soaked to the skin and freezing cold. And then it happened.

 

My husband asked me to look at his tire because it felt “strange” to him.  I said that I was sure it was nothing— wishful thinking.  He stopped and assessed his bike tire, which was flat.  On cue, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour.  I accepted the fact that there was nowhere to take cover on the bike trail. There I was, trying to read him instructions on my phone while attempting to keep the device dry in the pouring-down rain. My hands were numb from the cold and my clothing was soaked. Fun was not being had by either one of us.

 

Now, here’s the irony of the whole situation: I found out that it never rained during the morning event. If we had taken part in this, we would have enjoyed beautiful weather. However, we made our decision because we didn’t want to take the risk.

 

Risk.  Everyday, you make decisions while weighing your risks buy generic propecia.  Often, this measure of risk holds you back from experiences that you would enjoy and benefit from in life. Sometimes, the risk appears much bigger in your head than it is in reality.

I’m not saying to ignore the risk, but be sure to take some chances. Don’t allow yourself to miss out on life.

The Blame Game

image blame

 

When I was engaged, I had a talk with my future husband about my birthday.  I explained to him what birthdays were like in my house growing up.  My parents never overindulged us with presents— there wasn’t a lot of money.  However, I was always treated very special. I would wake up in the morning to my mother singing Happy Birthday and could request the cake of my choice. We always celebrated out at a restaurant where I could order whatever I wanted.

 

Anyway, I informed him before we were married that in order for me to be happy, I needed to be treated special on my birthday. I didn’t need extravagant presents, I just needed to be treated special. I explained to him in detail what that entailed.

 

I’m sure it’s no surprise to find out that in 32 years of marriage, I’ve never been disappointed on my birthday.  He has never forgotten the day and has always made me feel special. Therefore, my expectations have always matched my actual reality.

 

When I think back to different phases of my life, I can’t recall too many times where my expectations weren’t in sync with my reality. My ability to verbalize what I needed in my personal and professional life led me to being happy with the outcome.

 

I have come to the realization that much of our disappointment and unhappiness in life surrounds this notion of having expectations.  A person is capable of spending way too much time focusing on how their reality isn’t what they expected in their career and personal life.  But just like my birthday story, each one of us has equal opportunity to seize control of our own chunk of happiness.  The answer is simple: you can state clearly what you want and need in life.

 

Doesn’t this seem like such a simple solution to a problem?  All you have to do is state what you expect and need in life.  If this is so simple, why is this so difficult? Why do we play so many games, waiting to see if people are going to deliver what we need?  Why are we so afraid to tell people what we want?

 

The first step to assessing your own ability in this area is to be totally honest. How often do you find yourself unhappy because you expected more? Do you state clearly in your career what you need or do you expect others to figure it out?  Do you tell your friends and family what you need to be happy or do you find yourself complaining because someone has let you down?

 

And here’s the million-dollar question— do you find that this is a recurring theme in every facet of your life?  Do you keep wanting and hoping for things, expecting others to just know, and then are you disappointed in others actions and your own consequences?

 

If this mirrors your life in any way, I want you to know that all is not lost.  You can always change your behavior, which will certainly change your life.  If you haven’t shared what you need and want consistently in your life, then you should hold YOU accountable for not getting what you want. Realize that you hold the key in your relationship with your boss, your employees, or your family members. Stop playing the blame game and accept responsibility for your own situation.