Tag Archives: Gain

“Why risk a lot to gain a little?”

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“Why risk a lot to gain a little?”

—Inspired by a post by Dan Cullum

Image from Unsplash by Alexandria Gilliott

Since 1966, seat belts have been standard equipment in American vehicles. By 1975, most first-world countries also had seat belt requirements.

I can clearly remember getting my driver’s license in 1973—there was never a question of me buckling up for safety. I also recall considerable push back by some people, refusing to wear them because it infringed on their personal freedom or might wrinkle their clothes.

Some people would even buckle them behind their backs so that the car would start.

EXERCISE:

Where do your or others risk a lot to gain a little?
Where do you or others not even see these risks until it is too late?

“One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up instead of what they have to gain.”

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“One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up instead of what they have to gain.”

—Rick Godwin, American Pastor

Image from Unsplash by NeOBRAND

We all know in our heads and even in our hearts that change is inevitable. The law of impermanence is pretty evident, yet our need for control has us always swimming upstream against the currents of life.

What is there to lose? is a question worth exploring deeply. It is this real or perceived loss that troubles us most. The Serenity Prayer, originally written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in 1932, can be helpful to navigate such waters. The modern version reads:

God grant me the Serenity to accept
the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things
I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference

EXERCISE:

Where and how can a shift of mindset to a positive, opportunistic view of change help you explore and realize previously invisible gains that await you?