You could live your entire life with no risks taken. Nothing would happen to you, sure, but that's the crux of it all, isn't it? Nothing will happen to you. If you're someone who desires a small modicum of change, then you best not sit around all day hoping for it to come. Real change comes from actions, acting as steps, leading to the mountaintop of true, personal development. Most times, that involves risk.
Reddit user, u/Mr_Jennings_30, wanted to know how we should all step up when they asked:
Even If It Tastes Bad, Do It
Trying something new or outside your comfort zone at a restaurant, or cooking something you normally don't. Very little risk, but you might find something you really like. It's kinda funny how much courage that can take for certain people I know.
Pack It On Up
GiphyMoving out of your sh-tty home town.
You can't grow roses in spoiled dirt.
I did this, and took a huge leap of faith. I moved to try and make it as a musician, and five years later after my move, I'm not a musician, but I am now an international gogo dancer, which I never knew I would ever be, because I used to HATE dancing.
Moving out of your home town was hard, weird, but so f-cking rewarding.
Are Your Feelings Worth More Than Knowing?
Talking to that girl. Go ahead. Don't be afraid. Pepper spray only hurts for 20 minutes or so.
Haha. But seriously. Every time I see a guy cry on here about talking to a girl, I'm amazed. In most of the circumstances, you won't even see this person again. The worst they can do is say no (I guess they can insult you, but 99% of people won't do that and for the 1% that do - that just makes them look like an asshole to any decent human being).
I'm a gay girl. I approach girls pretty frequently. No one has ever been a d-ck to me. I've never died. They don't get offended if they're straight. I don't get offended if they're not interested. I've made good friends this way! Just set your ego aside and roll with it.
Feel Out The Conversation, You Might Be Surprised
This may be a small one but I feel most people don't try: Starting a conversation with a stranger. Even just making a small comment to someone could end up brightening both of your days!
I talk to strangers all the time, and I can tell within literally one sentence whether the other person is they type of person who doesn't mind a chat.
I'd say probably at least 20-30 percent of the time people give off a vibe that says 'please don't continue this conversation' and then it fizzles after one comment.
No harm no foul.
Its only when people keep talking when one person clearly doesn't want to that it gets awkward.
Always Have Something Lined Up First
Changing your job if you don't like your old one.
I feel like this is a dangerous one if you're not careful about it.
My friend's mother worked at an elementary school as a teacher's assistant. She had a high school diploma and worked full time doing recess duty, looking after the kids and helping a teacher in the classroom with whatever. She had a 401k, health benefits, and was entitled to a pension once she retired. She got tired of her job and up and quit without having anything else lined up or a clue about what she wanted to work in. She ended up basically unemployed, just worked part-time gigs here or there. She was in her 40s when she decided to try something else.
By far, this was the worst thing she could have done with looking to pursue another job because she had nothing else lined up. She wanted to return to her old job after 3 months and was told she was no longer qualified because she wasn't bilingual.
It's good to pursue a new path, just make sure to have something worthwhile lined up first.
She got tired of her job and up and quit without having anything else lined up or a clue about what she wanted to work in.
I think this is where she screwed up. Nothing wrong about taking the risk and changing jobs, but make sure you have that new job lined up before quitting your current one if you need the income and benefits.
There Are No Restrictions Or Guidelines
Travelling by yourself. It can be weird at first, but once you realize you literally get to do everything you want to do it's great. Feel hungover? Do nothing or go sit in a park. Want to meet people? Go to a pub and introduce yourself as a tourist. I would recommend festival times of year like Christmas Markets for meeting people.
"Do more."
Top 2 things that i've learned growing older:
- Talking to the person you'd like to get to know better. Be it that one girl you're into, or even just a stranger if you want to get to know people.
- Embracing change/new opportunities even if it's scary or difficult. Jump into that cold water and don't settle for the easy way. Enhances your life and experience, and not going after these things usually leads to regret and a life less exciting.
Actually, not doing these things bear a greater risk than going for it, in a way. Do more.
If You Made A Thing, Share It!
Posting that art/music/meme/whatever content you made
unless your community is toxic ofc
"...Sooner Is Better Than Later."
GiphyThe broad based stock market by investing in index funds.
I grew up being told by my parents that the stock market was SUPER HARD and RISKY and that a lot of research was involved before getting started. They were wrong and I waited too long before starting - if anyone reading this has a disposable income, don't hesitate like I did, even if you're just microinvesting through a round-ups app or putting in a couple hundred bucks every 6 months, sooner is better than later.
The funny thing with money is that once it's not in your account it's easier to think it's not yours to spend anymore. Investing is like buying yourself a 30th or 40th birthday present, you won't regret it.
"What is the most unexpected thing you've seen live on tv?"
Not As Cute As He Seemed...
"In the UK a TV personality and her son who is disabled were on a live tv show."
"From what I recall the topic being discussed was online bullying."
"When her son was asked about what to say to these bully's his response was: 'hello you c*nts'."
"Absolute classic British TV right there."- garillar
And This Was Only The Beginning...
"The OJ Simpson Bronco chase."
"They interrupted the NBA playoffs to show it live instead of the game."
"It was surreal."- PaulsRedditUsername
All He Had Hidden, Was A Let Down...
"Al Capone's vault had ........... nothing in it."- MerryBandOfPirates
al capone inmates GIF by History UKGiphyNo Thanksgiving Is Drama Free
"It was Thanksgiving morning in Los Angeles, and a news team went to surprise a family in need with a full Thanksgiving dinner."
"They showed up to the house, and I really think they went to the wrong place."
"The person at the door looked confused by the name the reporter was giving them, but they were live, and I’m sure the reporter was freaking out so she shoved her way into the home with the camera crew and a bunch of people with food."
"They’re all standing in the living room, and the reporter is telling this bewildered woman about what food they brought."
"Then the woman, takes a picture off the mantle, and starts crying, telling the reporter her baby died."
"The reporter was trying to turn the conversation back to the surprise dinner, but the woman only wanted to talk and show pictures of her dead baby."
"It was the cringiest thing I’ve ever seen on live TV."- adventurer84
Some People Just Get Used To It
"The reporter standing at a 45-degree angle, holding onto the street sign for dear life in a wind/rain storm as he was reporting."
"And the two dudes casually walking past, not leaning whatsoever and without difficulty."- Kinky_mofo
An Unforgettable Tragedy
"The Space Shuttle Challenger exploding into the Florida sky."- IfIKnewThen
A Life Threatening Rush...
"A Formula One driver hitting a wall at Imola and attempts being made to resuscitate him on the track."
"They weren't successful."
"Roland Ratzenberger died during Qualifying and things continued to get out of control as crew, drivers and spectators were injured over the weekend and Ayrton Senna died during the race."
"Motor racing is obviously not 100% safe but the number of incidents and two fatalities over the course of a single event was astonishing."
"It really was like the track was cursed."- JMW007
In Case Anyone Missed It...
"I was watching football (soccer) a few years ago and the referee stopped play for a foul."
"The slo-mo replay showed the fouling player grab the other player’s shorts as he stepped across him, and use them to try to stop his momentum."
"The shorts stretched a long way, exposing his penis, which then proceeded to flap around in slo mo, for about 5 seconds, whilst the commentators pretended it wasn’t happening."- Thefdt
Copa America Football GIFGiphyBoxing Doesn't Involve Teeth
"Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield’s ear."- wintermacaw
Everyone Wanted To Look Away, But Couldn't...
"Anderson Silva's leg snapping like a twig."- KeyRageAlert
In Real Time
"Hostage situation during the news."
"The news presenter was talking when an armed man walked in and took them hostage."
"It was wild."- HappyDutchMan
GOOOAAAAL!
"Christian Eriksen legit collapsing and dying on a soccer pitch only to be revived and make the most epic comeback the following season."- True-Expression3378
Going Out on A High
"One time I was flipping through channels and nothing was on."
"Snow mobile freestyle on the winter X Games caught my eye for no good reason."
"Then the guy is in the air either trying to backflip or he just rotates too far on a big jump."
"The snow mobile lands what looks like directly on his chest."
"I’m shocked thinking surely he wasn’t going to survive."
"I can’t recall what the normal announcers were saying or if they cut to something less dramatic."
"But then the sideline reporter type woman said she interviewed the athlete while he was being taken away and he 'felt like he just woke up from the longest dream ever'.”
"So I was optimistic since he was able to speak."
"Maybe even walk off under his own power."
"But I looked it up over the next day or two and he died in the hospital."
"That line from his interview still sticks with me."- FancyPantsHess
There's no going back for a second take when it comes to live television.
So, for better or worse, what happens will potentially be seen by millions of viewers, and most likely never forgotten.
Redditor Sinaasappelsien was hoping certain people would share some of their most difficult inner thoughts, so they asked:
"Those with ADHD or OCD, what’s the worst intrusive thought you’ve ever had?"
I don't have either symptom, but I can empathize.
Intrusive thoughts haunt us all and it's a lot to take in.
Consent
Jim Carrey Reaction GIF by LaffGiphy"Maybe you're in a 'Truman Show' type situation, what would you want your audience to hear?"
"The answer now is mostly 'I do not consent to be in a 'Truman Show type situation.' I'm 99.9% sure that's not what's happening, BUT I do still say it out loud every once in a while, just in case."
a**hat123
Painful Details
"I tend to imagine injuries in excruciating detail. One time when I was in college, working in the kitchen, I remember walking past an industrial-sized mixer with a dough hook as big as my arm, and I was immediately hit with the image of my leg getting caught in it, and the force of the motor snapping my knee and leg bones and winding my flesh around the shaft until it shredded and tore free - like when you're trying to break the hip joint to get a leg off of a roast chicken."
iglidante
Sick to my stomach...
"I've had some absolutely abhorrent and terrifying intrusive thoughts that torture me all the time. My therapist told me that intrusive thoughts are your brain trying to purge the things you find absolutely disgusting and awful and I try to remember that but it still makes me sick to my stomach. I cope the best I can but torture really is the best descriptor for experiencing consistent intrusive thoughts."
bathmaster_
Unfazed
"I have Excoriation disorder, which is a type of OCD, and what it means is that if I see any kind of spot on my skin, I pick at it until it’s gone. And what I mean when I say 'pick' is that I will find whatever sharp object there is (my preferred object is thumbtacks) and I will dig until I’m satisfied that it’s gone. It could be 5 minutes, it could be 5 hours."
"Pain doesn’t faze me. Blood doesn’t faze me. I have dug down to the bone before with a thumbtack because I thought there was a lump in my pinky finger. I also have a severe anxiety disorder, which means that if I can’t get 'out' whatever I believe is in my skin, I have a panic attack. It isn’t to self-harm- I don’t do it to hurt myself."
"I just do it because I can’t relax until I get out whatever I think is on/in my skin. I haven’t had a severe picking episode in about 9 months, thanks to really good meds and mental health care. But yeah- without that, the intrusive thought that 'something is in there and I HAVE to get it out' would destroy me."
MPD1987
Again and Again
Britney Spears Reaction GIFGiphy"Along with intrusive thoughts is the intrusive music. All the time never stops. Just broken snippets, 'Oops I did it again, oops I did it again, oops I did it again' over and over til I think I’m going mad!!!"
Jeansiesicle
Random music in the brain.
I've been kept up nights over the music.
And there is no volume dial.
WTF?!
Dying Classic Film GIF by Warner ArchiveGiphy"I get one regularly that’s a vivid image of me digging out the artery in my wrist with a fish hook and then snapping it like a rubber band."
canijustbelancelot
Bed Check
"If my bedroom isn't clean or tidy when I lay down to sleep, I picture bugs, rodents, etc climbing over me in bed. Not far off because my last condo building had such a bad mouse infestation. Ugh. I'm itchy just thinking about it now."
crankyoldhag45
"I have to check my room every night for spiders, the same routine every night no matter how tired I am. I hate it. I'm convinced if I don't check, it'll be the one night a big one crawls on me, and that did happen once, so the compulsion to check is now very much set in stone. :( "
sakura_gasaii
Reminders
"I love getting constant reminders about my absolute worst memories, ranging from 'WTF was I thinking' to redeem now for a free panic attack. I considered typing one out but stared at that last full stop for a minute before snapping out of it and reconsidering lol. I’ve gotten very good at forgetting things. It’s for the best."
Arterra
Bad Attacks
"I've been getting bad claustrophobia attacks on the train lately. The moment it gets too crowded I start thinking about the trains to Auschwitz and how the people were trapped in there for days at a time, squeezed in like sardines, with no bathroom breaks, no room to stretch, freezing or sweltering, starving or panicking or dying... Sorry. You asked."
Wazula23
Rituals
I Hope Please GIFGiphy"I have to pray before bed or my father won't wake up the next morning."
No_Scale7584
"OCD rituals hit hard. I hope it doesn’t cause you too much distress, but I understand how exhausting it can be."
StillExpectations
Our thoughts can really be our enemy.
If you suffer some intrusive thoughts, there are plenty of medical resources out there for you. .
