10 Risks You Should Be Taking If You Want To Live A Better Life

10 Risks You Should Be Taking If You Want To Live A Better Life ©iStock/lechatnoir

Not everyone considers themselves a “risk taker”. There are some people who will drop everything, spend their savings on a one way ticket to South America, and just figure the rest out when they land. While the rest of us might admire their bravery, we could never imagine doing something like that. But the fact remains that if you want to experience more, learn more, and live your life with no regrets, sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and just do the unexpected. At the very least it’ll be a good story.

  1. Dump your high school sweetheart. When you were 16 you might have been positive he was the one you’d spend the rest of your life with, and it probably made you feel safe at the time. But you deserve the chance to date other people and figure out who you are before you settle down, so don’t drag out a relationship just because you’re afraid to be alone.
  2. Date guys who are all wrong for you. Because how do you really know who is all wrong for you if you don’t give them a chance? Experiencing a few rough break ups will teach you what your non-negotiables are, and make you appreciate the right guy so much more when you do find him.
  3. Quit your mediocre, stable job. Of course having a steady pay check and health insurance is important, but don’t you want more? Now is the time to try to pursue something you love before you have a family to support and a lot less freedom to take chances.
  4. Apply for jobs you don’t necessarily possess all the qualifications for. It’s easy to think “oh, I don’t have all those skills, I’ll never even get an interview.” But if you don’t try you’ll never know if you would have been the perfect person for the job. These days it’s not all about hard skills, sometimes it’s about the right fit personality and passion-wise.
  5. Move to another city. Growing up somewhere, moving a few blocks away, and having the exact same life as your parents might be appealing to some, but you’re missing out on a lot if you never really get to call another city your home. You’ll learn how to adapt, and be independent, and meet so many different kinds of people who could change your life completely.
  6. Go on a trip by yourself. Even just the occasional road trip at first is enough to get you more comfortable with doing things like eating dinner, shopping, and navigating around a new place, on your own. The best thing about traveling alone is you never have to compromise on what you want to do with your limited time, because you’re the only one making the decisions.
  7. Spend your money on experiences instead of material things. While your friends are saving up to buy the latest designer It bag, you’ll be putting away money to go to Coachella next year, or to go sky diving. Just because they have a physical representation of where their money went doesn’t mean they are more practical.
  8. Start your own business. Even if it’s just something small, like selling your own handmade bracelets on Etsy, or writing a blog, finding a way to turn a hobby into a source of income is guaranteed to give you a sense of accomplishment.
  9. Ditch friends who are no good for you. Staying friends with someone just because you’ve known her forever isn’t really a good enough reason. It might be scary to not her around as a crutch anymore, but eventually you’ll realize she was just a bad influence anyway.
  10. Do things that scare you. If public speaking is your worst nightmare, sign up for a stand up comedy class. The more you face your fears the less they’ll be able to control you, and you’ll feel way more in control of the rest of your life.
By day, Courtney is a digital marketing copywriter living in Toronto, Canada. By night, she's a freelance lifestyle writer who, in addition to Bolde.com, contributes regularly to AmongMen.ca, IN Magazine, and SheBlogs Canada. Want to chat about relationships, Stephen King or your favorite true crime podcast/documentary/book? She's on Twitter @courtooo.
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