A few weeks ago, my wife and I made a (very) short trip to Wisconsin to visit family. With Changents just recently launched it was tough to peel away, but our options were to do it or wait for at least a year. Had to happen.

While there, my mom shared the lines below about Risk. This short piece appeared in the rememberance of a young man who lived on the edge - in all the most positive and admirable connotations of the idea - and died while at the controls of a small private aircraft.

Mom recognized that Change Agents know a thing or two about risk taking and in pointing out this piece, I think she hit the bull's-eye. The author is unknown but message is indisputable.

Would it be overreaching to say that these words apply to all Change Agents? I don't think so. Thanks Mom!  
  
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by his own fears, he is a slave.
He has forfeited freedom.