“Safe is good for sidewalks and swimming pools but life requires risk if we are to get anywhere.”
I have been pondering this Simon Sinek quote for the past couple of days and I agree whole heartedly with the notion of nothing ventured…nothing gained. I also see that there is a significant paradox that we can also incur significant risk to our lives when we shy away from potentially risky activities or endeavours. What I am trying to say is that it can be very risky to try and play it safe. Let me explain with the following example.
A couple of weeks ago my boys and I took a group of their friends up to Squamish mountain to ride the amazing downhill trails. Some of these trails appear in the popular Down Hill mountain biking film Strength in Numbers by Anthill Films as well as several other films and youtube videos. There is a particular series of stunts and jumps that not for the novice rider. The following video doesn’t do the stunt justice because you are not able to really get a sense of the large span of the gap and the extreme height the boys are at but it does provide a context for the fact that there is zero margin for error if one fails to gauge the right speed.
There is a huge physical risk involved in these stunts but the rewards are equally significant. Being able to master these types of stunts means the boys are riding at a professional not just an expert or advanced level. I made this distinction because there is a difference between simply “making” the stunt and “making it with style”…the style is what distinguishes the professional from the amateur. My older son commented that he can now ride at the professional level, he just needs to build up his speed, style and consistency. He also commented that if he wouldn’t have dedicated the past 5 months of committed riding at the many bike parks and shuttle runs throughout BC he would not be at this level.
This confirms that the huge physical risks that my boys take daily in their riding is getting them much closer to their goal of becoming professional extreme athletes. It also confirms that not taking these risks would mean that they are physically safer but they would then risk missing out on their dreams. Fortunately the risk of knowing “what was” even it that involves risking life and limb is a much stronger motivator than the safety of wondering “what could have been”.
It is my hope and belief that the confidence that will come from overcoming fears and risk will positively transfer to other parts of my boys lives and will help them to master even greater challenges. Progress does require risk and facing and mastering that risk means that my boys will always know what was and not have to risk not know what could of been. I am just glad that I have been able to put my boys into the environment that has contributed to their progress.
