A time To Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental,
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self,
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk loss
To love is to risk not being loved.

To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try all is to risk failure.

But risk we must –
Because the greatest hazard to life is to risk nothing.
The man who risks nothing –
Does nothing
Has nothing
Is nothing.

He may avoid suffering…but he simply cannot learn,
Feel, change, grow, love, live.

Chained by his attitudes, he is a slave;
he has forfeited freedom.
Only the person who risks can be called a free man.
- Author Unknown
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