13. Risk

During an assignment, there was a question posed as to whether I would consider the risks of entrepreneurship worth it or not worth it. The risks of entrepreneurship are always present. The level and scope of risk is different depending on the type of business or company you’re going into, and at what stage it is at. Risks are always important, though there is a difference between risk-taking and stupidity. Whether a new idea is worth the risk needs to be evaluated from time to time, and appropriate course-corrections made. There is always risk, but it depends on how much risk you’re willing to take and when and why. There is always a chance that a new idea will fail, but there is also a chance it will succeed. If you want to avoid all risk, then you will also avoid all success. Avoiding risk makes failure much more likely.

What kind of risks are involved? There are the risks of an unstable income for an uncertain amount of time, the lack of benefits such as insurance or time off. There is the risk of economic changes that outpace your ability to adapt. There is the risk of being beat by competitors. There is the risk of family strain and relationships that atrophy. If nobody took risks, we would not have the great prosperity that we have in society today. The risks of entrepreneurship to me are worth it, under the conditions that priorities do not get inverted, and that the purpose does not become obscured and life get so pulled out of balance that everything meaningful gets pulled apart. The long-term balance needs to stay in focus. “Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.” Without sacrifice, there is no blessing. Without risk there is no success.  But don’t sacrifice the blessing for the sake of the risk. Don’t sell your birthright for a mess of porridge. Rather, be willing to hunger, so that your children do not. In taking risk, I must be wise and measure the cost properly, and pace myself appropriately, and consider which risks I am willing to take. I am not willing to sacrifice my faith, nor my family for the sake of my job. The job comes second because it only exists for the purpose of sustaining the family.