Thinking aloud: Risk

In one of the interviews, one recruiter asked me what is your biggest strength and my answer was ability to take risk. Though this answer was an honest one, but this was not strength I acquired over the time, this strength came from my background. I had nothing to show off and nothing to lose. So at every point of time, I ask only one question, what would be the result if I fail or what would be the worst scenario. And I know that I have already passed my nadir (if I think logically cancelling out something super-natural or extraordinary), I cannot get lower than that. I have already fixed a reference point and while taking any decision I just think, would it be worse than that? And if answer is no, I can take any step.

It is like traveling with no luggage. If you have lots of luggage you become handicapped, you have lots to think about when you try to change the vehicle. If you are having no luggage you can hop from one vehicle to another. The outcomes of success are like extra baggage you acquire; the more successful you become the more concerned about losing your luggage. The heaviest acquisition is others’ (specially near and dear ones) expectations; every body expects you to grow vertically. To keep on acquiring this useless baggage, which are ultimately going to tie you down with their weights. You lose your ability to move, you lose your ability to take risk.

The crucial thing here is to keep that reference point intact. The success which comes to your way might force you to change the reference point as you are going to be afraid of losing the paraphernalia which comes with success.