Don't bother children when they are skate-boarding

"Strong people don't pull others down, they pull them up" ~ Michael P. Watson. Though some may argue like I did that the title does not apply to their lives when I first read the book, an open mind is required to understand the idea represented here. So naturally we are all born with survival instincts which are meant to guide and protect us in our day to day living. This is the same survival instinct that tells you "don't do anything stupid" when we are on the verge of making a potentially life changing decision which poses great risk. Starting a business for example and investing all your time and money into it can pose as a threat to your survival so your brain automatically tells you to "not do anything stupid" and stupid in this instance is represented by taking a risk that will bring you out of your comfort zone and potentially endanger you.

Why are our brains like that? Well the easiest answer would be we are built for survival from the positioning of our limbs to the strength of our bones, every single inch of our bodies is built to survive and our brain is the mastermind behind all of the "survival instincts". So the question you may ask is why then does the title mention kids and skate-boarding ? As a parent or older sibling or friend, our natural survival instincts can be transferred to those we love most and a parent's worst fear is watching their child do something dangerous that could be of harm to them. The immediate reaction of any parent when their child takes up a skateboard would be to stop them because it is dangerous and could lead to harm. However this in most cases does more harm than good because in the short amount of time that I have lived on God's green earth, I have realized that taking risks and pain are an essential part of growing and moving forward .

"If you are not willing to sacrifice the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary" ~ Jim Ron. This statement just emphasizes the importance of actually stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks that may potentially lead to you achieving your goals and succeeding or failing miserably. In this instance I do not agree with the failing miserably part because I believe that failure is the negative side of the coin and we should look at the positive side which is you learning a very valuable lesson at a very cheap price. Children skate-boarding represents taking risks to achieve the highest attainable goal which will bring much pleasure, just as much as a kid learning how to skateboard perfectly after falling a few times.

Here are 2 of the most important benefits that can be realized from taking risks :

• Confidence
  Every time you try to do something risky, like starting a new job, taking up a new hobby or even asking that pretty girl out on a date and succeed at it, your confidence will grow. Even if it fails, you will still have gained some experience which will make you feel a bit more prepared for the next time . Every time you try something new, your confidence grows exponentially.
• Growth
  Every time you take any kind of risk ( NO illegal risks do not count at all) you learn a bit more about yourself. You will have a much clearer picture of what you like and what you are good at meaning you will definitely want to try it again. You will also learn what you don't like and suck at and you will definitely never ever try it again. I think falling a couple of times is a small amount to pay for getting to know yourself a bit better. 

From what I have learnt through a lot of older people, risk taking is a very important part of our lives and it will make your later years less regret filled. Have a blessed week and Thank God its Monday