Growing and Shrinking

Had an interesting conversation with my brother-in-law yesterday. We were talking about various opportunities in life that can be very nerve-racking and challenging. Challenges that basically throw you in at the deep end in a sink-or-swim scenario. Challenges that freak you out a little bit, and threaten you with a good dose of humiliation should it go bad.

They're the sort of challenges that can offer something amazing, and make you feel like a king, but where the risk of failure is quite high.

When those opportunities are presented to you, there's no going back. You will either shrink or grow as a person. If you take it on, you will grow and learn, whatever happens. And it may go very well. If it goes badly, you will still grow as you will no doubt learn something. And you had the courage to give it a go.

But it you decline such an opportunity, you inevitably shrink as a person. You reject a new experience, and perhaps reinforce your fearful tendencies. The opportunity may never come round again.