“And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”~Erica Jong
I’ve wanted to be a photographer for a very, very long time. Before founding Chatsworth Consulting Group I was determined to quit the workforce and become an “artist” – to devote myself to photography fulltime and make a go at it. Then someone convinced me that I might want to apply my then newly earned MBA and expertise through consulting instead. I’ve loved nearly every minute of it, and I’ve never looked back.
Except that every time we travel, I take out my camera, hang it around my neck, have a great time taking pictures, develop the rolls of film (ok, so I haven’t made the ultimate switch to digital), and hang photos around my house. I get compliments. I still want to be a photographer.
So I’ve decided to approach a few local coffee shops that have art exhibits to see if I can show my work. Which makes me very nervous. Really nervous. I realize I work with my clients to help them take risks, and I take risks often in my business, but this feels more personal and more risky.
I also realize that if I don’t at least try to have my work “shown” I’ll always wonder if I could have. And I’ll always wish I had. That’s too great a risk for me.
Take the action, make the phone call, have the conversation, make the decision – do what you have been avoiding because of the perceived risk.
What do you want or need to do that you’ve been putting off because of the risk involved? Which is greater – the risk of taking the action, or the risk of doing nothing?
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