Irrational Fear Kills Opportunity

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers fear." - Nelson Mandela

There is a fundamental difference between being risk averse and being afraid. Far too often, people associate a calculated risk to taking a "leap of faith". It's a fact: an extremely small percentage of people are able to become successful without taking at least one risk. The amount of times I have mentioned my plans for the future to someone just to have them immediately reply with a comment along the lines of: "But what if ___________ happens?" is countless. Do I take into account what they say? Of course I do. Does it stop me from researching possible solutions to this issue and discourage me? Absolutely not.

Before you read even another sentence of this article, I hope there is one thing you get from it. It doesn't matter to me if you apply this to your 9-5 job. It doesn't matter to me if you apply this to your business that you own or a possible investment. Hell, it doesn't even matter to me if you apply this to your schooling, athletics, or your family life. It just matters to me that after you read this that you sit back and are honest with yourself when you ask yourself what you're afraid of. Then, I want you to ask yourself if you are able to face this fear by taking a calculated risk. If you don't take risks, I can (almost) guarantee that you will look back one day and think to yourself "What if I _______". That is not something I plan on doing.

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” - Robert Kiyosaki

I truly think Robert Kiyosaki is one of the most inspiring people I have ever came across. If you don't know who he is, I strongly suggest you read his best-selling book "Rich Dad Poor Dad". The amount of people who have had their lives changed by this book are countless. For me, this book taught me far more about fear than anything else. Kiyosaki stresses the importance in building your financial intelligence so that you can make calculated decisions to minimize risk and most importantly, maximize returns. What resonated with me was how he faced his desires, not by saying "I can't afford that" but asking "How can I afford that?"

It is evident that reading books and researching via the internet can greatly reduce the risk taken in any situation, but maybe just as (if not more) important can be the connections that you make. Take your free time and commit it to your growth. I understand that people reading this article will be coming from many different points in their lives. It doesn't matter. The time is not now to make excuses. Whether you're single and 22 or married with kids and 52, why let another day go by without thinking creatively on what risks you can take to improve the quality of your life?

“Action cures fear, inaction creates terror.” —Douglas Horton

Take that research that I mentioned and now put it into action. I love real estate. I spend my free time reading real estate books, connecting with others Bigger Pockets, and analyzing deals on Zillow. I took all the knowledge I have gained in the past 2 years and put it to action, buying a home that will be for investment. This home is a calculated risk. I read the markets, I connected with other investors, and I searched far and wide before identifying the home I wanted to offer on. I then leveraged my connections with my real estate agent who is also an investor to find the property that we both believed was best for my investment based on my finances.

The point of this article isn't to lecture anyone on investments. I'm not your financial advisor, and I am no guru. The point of this article is to inspire you to take the time to do the research to take a risk. Risks come big and small. For instance, for my fellow Bigger Pockets Members.  Here is one of the smallest risks you can take that could be extremely beneficial for both parties if your risk pays off: reach out to someone on Bigger Pockets who is in your market (or a market near your interest) and ask them to get coffee or lunch. Seriously. Introduce yourself; explain what interests you about what they do and what you think you bring to the table, and click send. It doesn't matter who it is. It can be a high level developer, an agent, or a private money lender. Look into what they've done to help their business, and think about what you are able to offer through a conversation. Think about the risk versus reward that can come from one message on BP. Even if they're too busy and decline your lunch offer, I can guarantee that your moxie will make an impact on that person.

"The secret of getting ahead is starting. The secret of getting started is breaking your tasks into smaller manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." -Mark Twain

Everyone has a different risk tolerance. I am encouraging you to consider your risk tolerance and approach it without fear. If something scares you, do the research needed until you understand what you could lose by facing it versus what you could gain. I hope that this inspires you to attack each opportunity that may come your way, as well as look into new avenues towards success. If something raises a red flag, don't get scared and give up, leverage your connections and research to see if it's a risk you can tolerate. Don't just go through each day, attack each day.