Do You Play It Safe or Do You Take Risks?

[seoulsearch]

Hey everyone,

The "liberal" thread got me thinking--do you have a life philosophy of "playing it safe" or "taking risks"? I decided to use those particular phrases because using the words "liberal" and "conservative" seems a bit too controversial.

I have a tendency to "play it safe" most of the time, but I have random bouts of riskiness, such as traveling long distances by myself, participating in ministries with controversial populations, and "starting over" in new locations. I often dream of just dropping everything and traveling for a year, but for me, I would see this as being too risky (I like the security of a regular wage.) I would also have to charge many of my expenses, which is something I personally would not choose to do unless it was an absolute life and emergency. I know some would say to just trust God, but for me, trying to be content within my means IS trusting God.

What about the rest of you? Do you tend to be more cautious or more lenient when you make decisions about:

* Life decisions? (World travel or a lifelong dream vs. a steady job and income?)

* Finances? (An "old reliable" vs. a flashier car that will take longer to pay off; a job that doesn't pay as much but is more creative?)

* Faith? (Taking what seems to be the most convenient path vs. something riskier?)

* Social life? (Asking someone out vs. hoping someone will approach you first instead?)

These are just a few examples... Please tell us about your own personal experiences. What are some of the "safest" and/or "riskiest" decisions you've ever made? What were the results--do you have regrets?

How do the consequences affect your future decisions?

 

[egeiro]

In general, I would say I tend to take more risks, but I play it safe in certain areas.

I love spontaneous weekends away, going on a road trip and staying in a beautiful cabin by the mountains. There has been one time I spontaneously booked a flight that day and left to fly to another state, but I did feel God leading me to do that, and boy was it just simply amazing.

I am not so risky with finances. I take my savings money out and hide it in my room. I don't have a credit card, I use my Visa Debit card so I only use my own money. When I bought my car which was two years old at the time, I paid a third of it in cash to minimise my debt and used a payment plan to pay it off as soon as possible. I feel very uncomfortable being in debt, but as much as I play it smart with my money, I'm not stingy. I do like to give money to people or buy nice gifts when my heart leads me to. Sometimes I like to be generous to myself and buy expressive dresses.

I am riskier in my faith. I always have more fun with God when we go on adventures. You know, slaying bears, lions and Goliaths, facing the fears inside myself and uncovering God's love for me in the process. Taking the risk of following God's voice and sometimes even getting it wrong along the way, but even so, learning what my Fathers voice sounds like in the process. To me, we have so many opportunities to go deeper with God, to continually uncover the width, the depth and the height of His love, and sometimes it's in the hardest and darkest of times we discover this. But either way, in the risk of knowing Him, I still hold on to what I have come to know before: He is faithful.

I play it safe in my social life. I used to be bold in asking people out and making my feelings known to men, I never held them back if I liked someone, but I'm so out of the energy to chase, I want to learn what it means to be worth pursuing. In friendships, I play it safe too. I haven't developed any deep friendships since been born again. I've had real moments of vulnerability and have grown with people... but all this stuff just happens, or my friends are married with husbands and children to prioritise in their lives (which they have every right to and I encourage them to). I just never had someone to do life with for the long distance run. The last two churches I've been part of in just over three years had 1-3 young adults and were mainly filled with elderly people. Also when I became a Christian I dropped all contact with all my old friends because I knew I would stumble if I did, so those situations didn't help.

 

[Mitspa]

The Lord tells us to live quiet and peaceful lives....( I can do that)
He also says to be bold as a Lion ... (I can do that too)

 

[Lynx]

For me it's more a question of relative value versus relative risk. If something has more value to me I would be willing to take more risk for it. There's really no way to pin down anything and say "I'm a risk taker" or "I play it safe."

I guess the ole retirement fund could be used as a gauge... My roth IRA isn't in bonds, it's in large-cap and REITs. Not the most conservative choice, but not the most risky either. But these days the fact that I even HAVE a retirement fund is probably an indication that I play it safe.

 

[CarolSampaio]

I'm more of a play it safe kinda girl... I wish I could say I'm a risk taker, but I'm not... I am willing to take some risks, of course... but I would never jeopardize the things that I have accomplished for the possibility of something else...

I guess that's why for me is so hard right now to make a change in my life... I have a good comfy life... a good steady job, an apartment (small, but my own), a car, my cats, all I need is a little planning to travel wherever I want in the world... I just need the courage and boldness to do more... to be more... to step out of my comfort zone and put myself out there... and that is soooo hard to do... at least for me...

 

[Mitspa]

I'm more of a play it safe kinda girl... I wish I could say I'm a risk taker, but I'm not... I am willing to take some risks, of course... but I would never jeopardize the things that I have accomplished for the possibility of something else...

I guess that's why for me is so hard right now to make a change in my life... I have a good comfy life... a good steady job, an apartment (small, but my own), a car, my cats, all I need is a little planning to travel wherever I want in the world... I just need the courage and boldness to do more... to be more... to step out of my comfort zone and put myself out there... and that is soooo hard to do... at least for me...

How many cats? because I hear when a person crosses the 5 permanent cat line, they can never change

 

[CarolSampaio]

How many cats? because I hear when a person crosses the 5 permanent cat line, they can never change

In my heart, I crossed that line long ago... but here in Manaus there is a law that limits the number of animals you can have in your home without having to turn it into a pet hosting facility... and that number is five!! hehehehe

So... I have only five cats!!

 

[Mitspa]

In my heart, I crossed that line long ago... but here in Manaus there is a law that limits the number of animals you can have in your home without having to turn it into a pet hosting facility... and that number is five!! hehehehe

So... I have only five cats!!

lol ...so they heard the same thing I did That's funny


The Lord saved you through this law

 

[TheComforter]

Wow, very Timely; HE Always Is though.

Regrets? I would say "yes" and I do, because some things this ol' angel's done, well, I'm not proud of but HE had to shape me into what I Am in HIM to Stand and Tell The Living Wor(el)d of TIME ALMIGHTY The Truth... do I have regrets....

We all should have regrets, even if minor, because we've all fallen short of HIS Law unto/into Life and should've been dead on the spot but via the grace of HIS already knowing how it all would go, ever before HE laid The Foundation, I Am and You Are. David, Peter, Etc. played the role, even briefly of 'satan' as they did what HE said not to do, as all of us do to some degree. Then again, without True UnderStanding of HIM, there is no sin. People make out angels to be some kind of magic bean nonsense but we have a flesh body too, just as Immanuel.

I have to look in the mirror and give the devil his due... he had a strong grip on me. I became rich and was on my way to becoming wealthy and surely more worldly and HE struck down my entire life and I mean the whole thing, but anyway. He woke me up and opened my eyes to the devil staring back at me in the mirror... the rode to hell can be paved with the very best of intentions.

I cannot write details of my life that you're asking about, but I can assure you I've lived plenty and plenty risky at times.

I can sum up much of much by this... you're not promised your next breath and do not know The Day or Hour HE will come for you, so wouldn't it make sense to spend the real Currency (Current See, aka Present) of Life, Time, doing what brings you the most Heaven, rather than hell, within the confines of HIS Word, which will bring Eden/Paradise to your life~time~god in HIM? The Truth of Mankind is that all feel the same basic way. The greatest 'Thing' you Have Ever, or Ever Will know is TIME. Remember that One Time When in The Book of Remembrance....... .

How does HE want Us to Live Life/God/Time here? Based around HIS Word, The Truth, which is summed up via The Real Truth of THEE KING'S Words:

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
*** And you shall love the Time of (Yah) Life with all your emotion, and with all your body, and with all your thoughts, and with all your works: this is the first commandment.

Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
*** And the second is the same as the first (the last is the same as the first, the omega and alpha), you shall love/respect your fellow man/woman (of PreSent Time and a fellow Temple of The Living Time) as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these and they are The Summation of The Truth of The Living Wor(el)d of GOD and returning to 'Kingdom~Eden'.

Hi, I Am Gabriel and Right Now, I Am literally in HIS Presence and so are You. I know HIM and We go back a Long, Long, Long Time. I have regrets but in HIS Love and grace, when I return again, it will be a new Heaven and earth, a new Time and place, with no remembrance of days gone by and the discovery begins again. See that Tree of Life above You that bears fruit of The 12 Tribes of Israel that once here, does what they can to be their Brother's/Sister's Keeper, even though falling short at times? Only One of those Stars Up There Is Perfect in HIS Light to bring forth yesterday, Today and TOMORROW and to carry the weight of Our sins, Dayly.

How have I lived life so far? This Time 'round, uhhh, not-so-hot but overall, still a man you'd say "yeah, let'im in, he's AllRight" I live it as we all do in HIM... at the speed of TIME.... WHOM we all serve.

"How do the consequences affect your future decisions?" Great thread btw. When you resurrect spiritually/mentally and begin Walking with Him and not just talking it (no, I don't mean like the cheesy 'Christianity' that's literally sold today), The Law begins convicting you and you feel the weight of your actions... hurting another version of GOD in the flesh... it hurts and the tears will flow and the ones that sinned most that come Home, We Truly are thankful for HIS Sacrifice that gives Us Life.

The greatest moments of time you will ever know are sharing time with other Temples of a Like Spirit/Thought Process. Beyond that, regardless of setting, it's the company that makes the moment and natural moments doing natural things make for the best times; which includes physical companionship and via HIS Word, they seemed to enjoy in abundance, some much more than others.

 

[cmarieh]

I generally play it safe because I fear rejection and failure. However, in the last few months I have been bold in areas that I never thought I would be, but I have. I have been learning to just let go and tell God do what you want with me. I have stood up to people in authority positions of me like my advisor for example. One of the areas I need to work on is expressing my feelings as I feel them because in my past when I have expressed them I lose a friend so that area is still extremely difficult.

 

[Addison]

Something to always remember....

 

[DuchessAimee]

 

[setapartgirl]

Depends! If it is worth the risk! Why not?! So stop saying what if! And start what is!

 

[PoetMary]

When it involves me and my preferences, I tend to be more of a safe player. I don't spend extravagantly on myself, I tend to be rather routinized in several areas of my life, etc.

But when I comes to other people...I'm all in.

This means that pretty much every major monetary risk I've taken has been on behalf of another person (educational loans are the exception). I've seen lots of films, read books, tried activities, etc., for the sake of other people. I've gone to places (like Kenosha, WI) that I'd never have gone to otherwise. I've eaten food (like chitlins) that I'd not have done otherwise, etc. Basically, I feel like building relationships with people is worth big risks.

Of course, I've also done things that OTHERS perceive as risky, but I don't. I regularly do all kinds of activities alone (going to movies, going out to eat, going to various social events). I'm consistently surprised by people who say things to me like, "I could NEVER __________ alone." Seriously? Not even go to a movie where everyone sits in the dark staring in the same direction.

I've also vacationed/traveled alone. Pursued a variety of interests alone. Made major decisions alone. Basically, if I'm interested in doing it, I just do it.

Okay...so now that I think about it. I would say I am more of a risk-taker.

 

[Utah]

I usually play it safe but once in a while I take risks. I took a serious risk the other day that could have had dire consequences for everyone involved, but thankfully that was not the case.

 

[Roh_Chris]

I am a person who is a risk-taker when it comes to certain aspects of my life and risk-averse in other aspects.

* Life decisions? (World travel or a lifelong dream vs. a steady job and income?)

I think I would take the middle-line on this. I would prefer a steady job and income with sporadic periods of travel and one or two Sabbaticals thrown in between. I value stability in career and this ranks high up in my list of priorities. I also expect the same from my partner.

* Finances? (An "old reliable" vs. a flashier car that will take longer to pay off; a job that doesn't pay as much but is more creative?)

Finances can be divided into investments, income and expenses.

Income - It is 50-50 between risk-aversion and risk-taking. I would opt for the job that has a higher income, better perks, better hike, better visibility within the organization, etc. But if my job is "on the line" every single day, I would not enjoy it. I look for stability and longevity in the organization (say, 5-7 years tops), though that can be tied down to my overall performance.

Investments - I would distribute it across portfolios that are low-risk/low-yield, mid-risk/mid-yield and high-risk/high yield. The percentage breakup across these portfolios can be changed depending on what we, as a couple, would need for the future. But, I would not put all my life's savings into one basket.

Expenses - highly risk-averse. To be honest, this is a bit complicated to explain in text. To the best of my abilities, I would prefer being debt-free. Or if I had to, I would prefer to foreclose ASAP.

* Faith? (Taking what seems to be the most convenient path vs. something riskier?)

This is ironical, but I am quite risk-averse. I need a lot of convincing before I opt for something riskier. I know there have been many instances when I asked God to convince me multiple times before I decided to obey Him. I will also require validation and feedback from time to time.

* Social life? (Asking someone out vs. hoping someone will approach you first instead?)

I'm a risk-taker here. I love to network with people, but I keep an eye out for red flags.

Another significant part of my life where I am open to taking risks is in a romantic relationship. I have been in one LDR before and I am in one now. All my three past relationships and my present one have been with people who were from a different culture, compared to mine. Two of them were even from a different faith, though I reckon that to be a bad decision on my part. My decision to take the "risk", so to speak, depends on whether I am able to trust and respect the person despite the differences, whether we share a connection and whether we have common interests in areas that are vital for a couple (finance, family, hobbies, spiritual, etc.).

 

[SkittlePumpkin]

Heh...I'm basically Chuckie Finster from Rugrats.

 

[Nautilus]

Im definitely a risk-taker. I wouldnt say Im weak to peer pressure, but outside of obviously wrong things, it doesnt take much to convince me to do things.
Them: Like we should totally jump off the bridge with an elastic rope around our feet.
Me: Sure why not, what do I have to lose?