Everything You Desire Waits On The Other Side of Risk & Fear

The 4 Types of Risks You Must Take To Lead A Worthwhile Life

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk.”

I’ve thought about this quote a lot, lately.

Society pushes a fairly safe, risk-free playbook on us from childhood…Go to school…Get good grades…Get a decent job…Work until you’re 65 and then go enjoy your life.

This is a recipe for living like an NPC and destroying your soul. I’ve written about why this path is broken plenty of times.

Increasingly, I believe that most of what we desire in life waits for us on the other side of taking risks and conquering fear.

But not all risk-taking behavior is created equal.

Some risks are stupid, while other kinds produce outsized returns that can transform your life, wealth, and freedom.

Today, I’m sharing 4 types of risks you need to take if you want to gain control over your life and lead a worthwhile one as well.

1. Career & Income Risks

The 9-5 career was arguably popularized by Henry Ford in the 1920’s. But for most of human history, ‘work’ was typically done from and around the home. This whole ‘sit in a cubicle everyday and work until you’re nearly 70’ is a pretty new concept.

I don’t think it’s surprising that most people hate their jobs these days. It’s a relatively new experiment that removes autonomy, after all. But even if you don’t hate your job do you really want to grind out the corporate ladder until you hit retirement age, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor?

Probably not.

This is why it’s critical, especially for young people, to take aggressive career and income risks.

Jobs where a portion of your salary is commission-based are perfect examples.

My first job out of school was a commission-based advertising role. The base salary was only $35,000 Canadian. But with a profit-sharing structure the role had, I was able to earn around $85,000 straight out of school with my fairly useless psychology degree.

I’ve met many people with similar stories. They work in car sales, tech sales, finance, real estate…They’re not afraid to bet on themselves and their skills, and their income growth far exceeds people who choose safer entry-level positions with a fixed salary.

If your career/industry doesn’t really have commission-based roles, another worthwhile risk is to job hop for promotions. This is often a faster way to increase your annual income while expanding your network versus grinding out the corporate ladder at one company.

And if this isn’t for you, you can dabble in freelancing or starting some kind of one-person business. Explore other options in your niche/industry where your income/rewards are tied directly to the value you produce, not the value your boss arbitrarily determines for your salary.

Plus, when you build something for yourself, you prove to yourself that you are capable. You sharpen your skills. You develop an inner-belief system that tells you that even when life gets difficult (because it will), you are able to handle yourself and come out the other side.

This is the most valuable lesson behind this type of risk. Don’t be afraid to create something for yourself and to put yourself out there to see what happens.

Extra Reading - I Tested 100+ Side Hustles. Here’s What I Learned.

2. Lifestyle Risks

You can open up social media and get a glimpse into any kind of lifestyle you desire.

Want to van-life around Australia? Feel like starting a business with your best friend? Want to pack up your stuff and move to another city or country across the world?

People have legitimately documented every single lifestyle, location, and dream that you could have. The blueprint on how to make a certain lifestyle a reality is always there. And if you have any questions, you’re just a Reddit thread or Facebook post away from getting answers.

Granted, much of life is glamorized on social media. However, we’ve never had so much information at our finger tips. The world is also smaller than it’s ever been; you’re just a flight away from anywhere.

Despite this, many people never take actions towards the lifestyle they say they want.

There’s an economic reality to this of course. Lifestyle changes can be quite expensive. But it’s also easy to delay the life we want in the name of responsibilities and obligations.

Here’s the thing, though: if you’re capable, you will always have responsibilities and obligations. Time doesn’t care, and it passes anyways. At what point do you take the risk to change your lifestyle and trust that you’ll figure it out along the way?

This is why I’m such a fan of traveling when you’re young. You don’t even have to go too far. But it’s important to expose yourself to several lifestyles and regions so you both appreciate what you have and realize you have the autonomy to pick something else if you want to.

As the world becomes more complex (and polarizing, perhaps), being able to exercise this autonomy is going to become even more important.

We are more flexible than ever before in human history. You don’t need to live and die in the same 30 miles from where you were born. You don’t need to work the same job for decades, or even be the same person if you sense you’re outgrowing your former self. If you dream of change, take the risks to make it happen.

3. Relationship Risks

People are scared to fall in love these days.

Somehow, we’ve reinforced the idea that expressing commitment is bad. Texting too soon is bad too. Oh yeah, even having a boyfriend/girlfriend is bad (or embarrassing, even,) according to Instagram/TikTok if you spend about 2 minutes scrolling.

I don’t know how we got here. Maybe it’s the rise of dating apps, people feeling lonelier than ever, and the era of ‘situationships.’ Whatever.

What surprises me is how quickly people defend staying out of love, for both genders.

For men, it’s always about remaining on your grind, not messing up your mission, and avoiding costly divorce. For women, arguments against dating I’ve heard usually focus on the importance of being hyper-independent and not lowering the bar.

In many scenarios, these arguments have merit. Some people aren’t good for you and shouldn’t be people you date. But as a general vibe for society, we’re so lost it’s insane.

Bring back yearning like you’re the two main characters of the world’s greatest love story. Bring back jumping into the unknown with someone to take on the world together. Bring back taking a risk on someone else because it’s one of the most important risks you’ll ever take in your life.

4. Spiritual Risks

I don’t think you need to believe in God. But I think people benefit by believing in something greater than themselves. I’ve written about why in this post.

You can call in faith in the universe, manifesting that things will work out, or just believing there’s a greater spiritual force out there guiding things. Whatever kind of spiritual path you go down, it serves as a grounding force and anchor during stormy periods of life (which inevitably come.)

If you’re a Type A individual who normally loves planning out every little detail and your magical five-year plan, embracing this vague guiding power will probably feel unsettling.

It should feel that way at first. There’s a weird sort of risk in giving up some of your mental control to the belief that things ultimately work out, if you have faith that they will. Especially if you’re so used to always being in the driver’s seat.

You’ll probably have plenty of doubts along the way too.

What if things don’t work out? What if you fail? What if everything goes wrong?

Learning to replace these negative thoughts with the belief that things will be okay and work out for the best takes work. It’s a mental muscle many of us aren’t used to using. And it honestly feels risky taking fewer actions and surrendering some control over outcomes because micro-managing and stressing often makes us feel like we’re being productive (this is rarely the case.)

Don’t make this mistake. Take action to control factors that are actually in your control. Let the rest play out as it should. The stoics really figured this one out.

Final Thoughts

I truly believe that most of what we desire in life waits for us on the other side of taking risk and overcoming fear/doubt.

I also believe that things generally work out, if you take the right actions and ‘trust the process,’ as they say.

That said, it’s not always easy.

Personally, I have zero idea what I’m doing right now. I’m bouncing around Europe before heading back to South Africa shortly. I’m trying to grow my businesses, stay healthy, nurture new/old relationships that are important, and to keep on learning.

Many days, the lack of structure and overarching plan feels stressful. Perhaps you’re in a situation now too, where the daunting unknown ahead fills you with dread.

I think this is normal. But if you feel doubt and fear creep in, it’s critical you don’t let these feelings inhibit your ability to take risks and bet on yourself.

You’re worth betting on, after all! And if you seriously don’t think you are, then become someone who is.

You can have any kind of life you desire. It just takes the courage to envision it and chase after it.

Anyways, that does it for a different edition of WiFi Wealth than normal. I’m going to go wander around Athens in search of a beer and piece of Baklava.

Catch you in the next one.

Tom from WiFi Wealth.