Joy is Risky

Thoughts are always tumbling around in my head. Sometimes, they're worth my time; other times, I scrap them.

One that is surfacing now is how joy and risk are intertwined.

I could live a safe life: never go anywhere, never do anything, never say anything. Never put myself out there. Never rock the boat. Never try anything new.

And I would be safe.

I wouldn't get flack. I wouldn't get in trouble. I wouldn't have heartbreak. I wouldn't have disappointments. I wouldn't be embarrassed. I wouldn't have wasted time or money on anything that may not turn out the way I hope.

And I wouldn't have joy.

All those times of trying new things, meeting new people, going to new places, are risky. Maybe I'll get hurt. Maybe I'll make choices that I regret later.

And maybe it'll bring more joy than I ever knew.

Sometimes, it brings joy and pain, and it's okay for those two factors to be present in the same scenario.

As I look back on life, there are definitely choices I made that I wish I could reverse. But I've also known, and will continue to know, so much joy because I'm choosing not to be afraid to try new things.