Saturday, April 1, 2017

A is for Authenticity #atozchallenge #2017 #authenticrisk

When I think about the journey of authenticity it amazes me at just how thankful I am to be on this journey.  There is so much that I could say has transpired over the last few years, but the best one is that I am more of who I feel like I was created to be.  My A post is for authenticity in risk.   All of us have risked things in life, some more than others. 

What makes a risk authentic?

I think that when you can genuinely look at the risk from every angle possible, and you go for it anyways.  When you know what you have to lose, and gain...and you jump off that cliff without looking back.

Maybe that means paying $500 for a plane ticket to go to a job interview that you are not sure you are going to get, but you want so badly.

Maybe that means telling that person what they mean to you.

Maybe that means speaking up for yourself when you believe something differently than everyone sitting on the same side of the table.

Maybe that kind of risk means giving every last ounce of energy, time, and compassion you have in order to make another person's life 5% of what yours is.

Maybe authentic risk just means that you don't weigh the pros and cons, but instead you just do it.  You make it happen, and you live in the moment.  Maybe that is authentic risk?

What does it mean to take an authentic risk?  






8 comments:

John Holton said...

Some people are so obsessed with not doing something wrong that they're afraid to do something right, and some would rather go along with everyone else rather than offend someone. Authenticity is a hard thing to have sometimes, but it's worth it. Great start to the challenge!

John Holton
A to Z Challenge Co-Host
The Sound Of One Hand Typing

Click said...

I think we take a lot of authentic risks during our IVF treatment. At every stage there's a chance it could all fail, and yet we do it anyway, out of love for the children we don't know that we're going to have.

I'm preparing to take another leap into the unknown next month, despite all sorts of uncertainty about the future. But I'm optimistic it will work and all the other things will fall into place.

Cait @ Click's Clan

Debby said...

Hey Life is risk and what is a good life without it? Sounds like you have a"adventure" coming, in the way of California. (Read your California dreaming)

My theme is all about baby boomers and those years we grew up. Grab some cookies and milks and come on over. Atomic Bombs

Arlee Bird said...

I hadn't quite thought of this in the way you described, but it makes sense. And I can see the risk involved.


Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out

Karnika Kapoor said...

That is very apt though on authenticity. The nuance you mention in this post made me think how one can be genuine in so many subtle ways.
The way you bound it with risk-factor is just amazing. At the end, I would say you really made this post an authentic one with ideas you presented and that just amazed me! :) (because it's authentic and it's about authenticity.)
Thanks for sharing!
Best Wishes!

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

Well, from a linguistic perspective, an authentic risk would be one that contains some element of...risk. A real possibility of losing something that matters, as well of course of the possibility of gaining something that matters. When I think about it that way, so much of life requires that we embrace risk. Otherwise, a person could just stay in the parental basement (note: we had no basement. More of a cellar, and with dirt walls. Not much motivation to stay there; besides, I was that age before the internet :D ).

The Ninja Librarian

Samantha Bryant said...

I'm a do-er rather a ditherer myself, which sometimes gets me in trouble, but has sometimes given me the most beautiful experiences of my life. Nice post! @mirymom1 from
Balancing Act

Alex said...

I think I was 20 or so before I felt like me. I guess I must have grown tired of being someone else. Now I try every day to be more me. Not as easy as it sounds.