Managing Risk and Fear

[Sarah Anne]

I'd like to start an open discussion on a topic that is near and dear to my heart: fear of risk. I have struggled with this my whole life, and am kinda getting sick of this fear I have, so I've been taking steady steps to address it, i.e. developing small habits to push me in the direction of my goals, so I'm not as fearful when it comes time to pull the trigger. I'm interested in how y'all have addressed risk, especially those that may have had petrifying fears of risk and how you are overcoming them. Thoughts?

[Jill F.]

It is an interesting question.

Exactly what risk do you fear? (There are all different types of risk). Do you fear  a personal failure? losing money? losing stature in the community? making a choice that makes you less happy? Disappointing a loved one? Conflicting with a loved one?

Your values are reflected in how you spend your time and money and also in the fears that hold you back.

For me, identifying my competing values has made it easier to accept (and/or mitigate) the risk and opportunity cost that comes along with committing to a particular course of action.