The higher the stakes
I was out gardening at the weekend - taking advantage of the rain-softened soil to do some much-needed weeding. After a little while, I realised I wasn't alone. A female blackbird was hopping bravely nearby, gambling on finding some freshly-revealed grubs and worms.
As I continued my work, I noticed that she repeatedly took the risk of coming closer to me to find food, then disappeared for a few moments, only to reappear and start the whole process over again. She was clearly feeding a young, hungry family.
The many birds in our garden, apart from inquisitive robins, tend to keep well away when any of us are around. Yet this blackbird obviously felt it was worth the risk of venturing closer to ensure her young got the food they needed. The stakes were high enough for her to take the opportunity when she saw it.
This got me thinking... How high do the stakes need to be for us to take a risk - to do something that may improve our own health or happiness? For many, the idea of taking a risk or doing something different can be too scary and we retreat into the familiar and the comfortable. This is understandable - after all, we are human. Yet, we maintain the status quo at our peril.
I come across clients time and again for whom things have been far from right for a long while. They've been prepared to put up with things, rather than face the possible fear of change. They may not want to commit the time, effort or money to improve things. Meanwhile they suffer the consequences of their inaction - stress, unhappiness, lowered self-esteem to mention just a few.
It's often only when the stakes are high enough - perhaps when they're facing ill health, difficulties with their relationships, or real misery - that they feel able to take action.
If this sounds like you, ask yourself "How high do the stakes need to be before you take action? Before you take some risks to improve things? Before you invest in a better future for yourself?"
You could choose to do nothing. Or you could just decide today is the day to do something different and invest in yourself and your future.
As I continued my work, I noticed that she repeatedly took the risk of coming closer to me to find food, then disappeared for a few moments, only to reappear and start the whole process over again. She was clearly feeding a young, hungry family.
The many birds in our garden, apart from inquisitive robins, tend to keep well away when any of us are around. Yet this blackbird obviously felt it was worth the risk of venturing closer to ensure her young got the food they needed. The stakes were high enough for her to take the opportunity when she saw it.
This got me thinking... How high do the stakes need to be for us to take a risk - to do something that may improve our own health or happiness? For many, the idea of taking a risk or doing something different can be too scary and we retreat into the familiar and the comfortable. This is understandable - after all, we are human. Yet, we maintain the status quo at our peril.
I come across clients time and again for whom things have been far from right for a long while. They've been prepared to put up with things, rather than face the possible fear of change. They may not want to commit the time, effort or money to improve things. Meanwhile they suffer the consequences of their inaction - stress, unhappiness, lowered self-esteem to mention just a few.
It's often only when the stakes are high enough - perhaps when they're facing ill health, difficulties with their relationships, or real misery - that they feel able to take action.
If this sounds like you, ask yourself "How high do the stakes need to be before you take action? Before you take some risks to improve things? Before you invest in a better future for yourself?"
You could choose to do nothing. Or you could just decide today is the day to do something different and invest in yourself and your future.
posted by Elizabeth Juffs at 1:48 PM
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