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motivation

How Risky is it Really?

My dad was an insurance guy. He was a claims adjustor and an underwriter. His job was to ascertain risk and put a number to it. In other words, he would ask, “How risky is it really?”

He would travel to a building that was going to be insured. After examining it, he would report how much of a risk the building would be to insure. Were their fire hazards? Was the foundation sound? Were there any safety issues?

He would report to the insurance company and the customer. If the client made the improvements, they would save money. But if they took no action, it could cost the client more. Perhaps the insurance company would deem the property uninsurable.

We face risks every day. However, there are instances when we create a bigger risk by doing nothing.

There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.

 John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Risky Homework

A few years ago, I drew a cartoon about a boy that missed a homework deadline. He concluded he needed homework insurance. But the real problem is that he didn’t take the action needed to complete the assignment.

Cartoon of a boy and a teacher. The boy says, "That was due today? Seriously? I need help.Where can I get some homework insurance?"

Perhaps he was distracted by something he considered more fun. Or he may have shunned his homework because he feared the risk of getting a bad grade. Regardless, his inaction insured that he would get a bad grade on the assignment. There are many ways we indulge in self-sabotage, isn’t there?

Take Action!

Sometimes, it is risky to take action. But may we have the discernment to realize when it is riskier to take no action. I don’t know if the JFK quote was about the space program. Perhaps it was. After all, sending astronauts to the moon was a very risky endeavor. And the president cast the vision when few thought it was possible.

As a result, the rewards outweighed the risks. But we didn’t know that until a country took the risk, did we? Comfortable inaction costs us much. It is better to take a risk. The cost of reaching a goal is far better than doing nothing.

Categories
motivation

How do I know if something is too risky?

When we would take family trips to Florida in the summer, it seemed that no matter what week we took, The Discovery Channel was playing Shark Week. There was nothing like watching shark attacks the evening before, then going to the beach. I probably had those experiences in mind when I posted this cartoon.

Watching Shark Week didn’t prevent us from going to the beach. We laughed about the over-the-top stories. Sure, some of them were harrowing and we took what we could learn from them. We knew it was more dangerous to wade in the water at sunrise or sunset. We realized we needed to be aware of our surroundings in the water. But it didn’t prevent us from having a good time.

Leadership in Risky Times

Today, leaders are facing all kinds of decisions involving risk. COVID-19 is causing business, government, and institutional leaders to make some tough decisions.

  • When should we open businesses?
  • When and how should we open churches?
  • Where and when should we wear masks?
  • How do you enforce social distancing without being authoritarian?
  • What will be the best way to get kids back in school this fall?

It would be nice if the answers were as obvious as a shark enticing a bather with fake sincerity. There are a lot of unknowns. Our decisions will be complicated with the understanding there will be some risk that wasn’t there last year. Yet, all of us will have to take on some of that risk to move forward.

The odds of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million even when you only include people who go to a beach. We are still trying to get a handle on how likely someone is likely to get the coronavirus. It will likely increase as time moves on. In any case, it will be best to continue practices such as social distancing, frequent handwashing, and sanitizing surfaces. We will need to learn how to live with this virus while maintaining safe practices and restarting our lives.

Cartoon of a boy and a shark. The shark says, "Hey, Buddy! Let me know when you're going to get in the water, okay?"
Categories
motivation

Lions, Tigers and Bears!

There are times when we have legitimate fears. It can keep us from making foolish choices like betting all your paycheck on a horse, running in traffic without looking for traffic or speeding in a snowstorm. Foolish choices have repercussions.

There are other times when we make excuses for something we know we should be doing. Our imaginations work overtime while the rest of us are lazy.

The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”

Proverbs 26:13 NLT

This morning, I smelled a skunk when I went for my run. I hesitated for a moment, then when I checked, it was obvious its stench was nearby while the lovely creature wasn’t. I could have used that as an excuse not to run the moment I smelled the lovely aroma.

We can watch out for excuses that keep us from our full potential. Yes, life is risky and we need to take proper precautions. But It is also good to take some risks and get out there, even if there’s a chance a lion, tiger bear or skunk may be on your path.

Categories
Attitude writing

Just Start, For Crying Out Loud!

We’re all scared to do something. The fear of starting is often more terrifying than the action we dread. We spend too much time fretting whether we can do it right than actually doing the work.

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cartoon Christmas holiday The Gospels

Manger Recall

Cartoon of two boys at a manger scene. One says, "Good thing Caesar Augustus didn't order a safety recall on mangers."That first Christmas was not a safe Christmas. A stable would have been a nightmare for a first time, germaphobe mother. A manger was not a safe alternative to a crib. Who knows what critters were scurrying around at night?

Maybe Christmas is not supposed to be safe. Most amazing events never are. There’s some risk involved. That said, safety recalls are still a good idea!

I drew this cartoon for Church of God Ministries, Anderson, Indiana