Rihla # 23 (This I Believe)

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Taking Chances. How can you get somewhere if you don’t cross your own boundary? Sometimes we are scared to do things that are foreign to us. I know I am. Sometimes it’s laziness that gets in the way or plain fear.



Yesterday(March 2012), someone taught me a lesson I thought only I could teach myself. I am a senior in high school. Like everyone else, I’m trying to discover what’s underneath these layers of skin, the books, the shell that I hide myself in. Being a reserved person, I struggle with situations where I am faced with the idea of being judged or laughed at. Yesterday, I unwillingly faced my fear. A friend sang to me a song that he wrote. Some people think of this as something sweet. As I saw his eyes penetrating through me, he asked the question. “Will you go to prom with me?”



This was the one moment where I have ever been surprised. This is not a story of rejection or a story of awe. This is about taking the chance and not asking “what if?”

Some students judge him, but they should ask themselves, “Have I taken the chance to do something I regularly wouldn’t do. Can I take a huge risk of being hurt or being embarrassed?” Not many would do what he did.



This is what I believe; don’t restrain yourself just for the fear of embarrassment or rejection. Those experiences may even end up in being great memories. Memories you can look back at and laugh or smile. Embarrassing moments are the best moments. <span> Looking back and thinking that you should have done something is a waste of time. If you can still do that embarrassing risk, do it. Take a chance and enjoy it. You never know what the outcome will be until you take action. A friend once told me “Michael Jordan lost many games in order to win many games.” These words I have kept with me since that day. <span> Take a deep breath, relax and do it. What’s stopping you? The judgment? The fear? Embarrassment? If you don’t take the risk, no one will do it for you.

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