Risky Business

Photo credit: Ryan Huang

So this wasn’t really a planned post but I wanted to quickly talk about taking risks. Someone recently said something to me while I was home that made me think a bit. They told me my decision to accept the internship, move away from school and put cheering on hold for a semester was a risky decision. Well yes, it is a risky decision. I believe without taking risks you never know what could be or what could have been. I’ve always been the risk taker in my family for the most part. I was always the daughter testing the limits to see what all I could get away with - sorry mom and dad! After high school, I took a risk when I went out of state for my freshman year of college. I took an even bigger risk transferring to an even bigger school after my freshman year where I knew nobody and would have to start all over. Well, I had the most memorable freshman year of college and my decision to transfer to UCF was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I'm a part of the best cheerleading program in the country and have built friendships that will last a lifetime. Those were just two risks I took that really paid off for me in the end. I’m not saying be a daredevil and live life on the edge and take any and every opportunity that presents itself. I’m just saying, it’s okay to take risks, and it’s okay to fail. I'm about to take a huge risk moving for a whole semester to a brand new place where I, once again, don't really know many people. But I have the support of my family, my coaches and teammates, and will still be able to continue my education from thousands of miles away. The way I see it, it could end up being a great experience with countless opportunities that follow if I work hard and stay focused. On the other hand, it could also turn out to be just a semester spent in another state working and going to school like I would normally be doing. Either way, I think it’s important to take a risk every now and then. Mark Zuckerberg said, "The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that's changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks." I say set goals, be determined, focus on what you want to achieve, and the benefits will definitely outweigh the risks!
So....do you like to play it safe, or are you a risk taker? Feel free to comment your thoughts below!  

STAY TUNED - I'll be starting my internship a week from today so stay tuned for a post about what I'll be doing there and my first few days in LA! :)

- Sammie