I read this sign and I had a choice. Do I proceed with caution or do I turn back and follow the safe trail.

Hmmmm….safety on the same trail I was just on OR excitement, exhilaration, new trail with new sights, and the (slight) possibility of serious injury or worse….

I’ll take the calculated risk please!

As a result, I encountered amazing cliff views, saw a seal relaxing on a rock, watched an artist paint the beautiful landscape, and laughed really hard when locals told me the octopus I swore I saw was actually sea kelp. Oh, and the trail’s end led me to an amazing Cliffside restaurant with the best prize ever – ice cold beer!

It was a very rewarding risk and a day of memories I will never forget.

Sometimes we operate in the safe zone and that’s very smart…when it’s necessary. Sometimes, though, we remain in the safe zone simply because we have always been there and it feels comfortable.

Being comfortable, however, isn’t always that comfortable.

The calculated risks we take fill us with life, meaning, and include our biggest achievements and greatest memories. And, here’s the ultimate beauty of calculated risks: The more you take, the more your comfort zone expands.

“Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills!” T. Harv Eker