Risk

To Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out is to risk involvement,

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and

dreams before a 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, is nothing.

– William Arthur Ward (1921-1994)

Read this on www.artofmanliness.com at the beginning of this week. If you are a man and you have yet to look at this website, I highly suggest it.

So I went to a monastery today...

... and it was really cool. I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything here and I know my last post was actually a quote by a monk, the same monk that will wrap up this post. I've been doing a lot of thinking a lot lately, hence the reason no blogging, and today this quote really struck me right where I have been lately so I figured I would share it. I received this quote on the back of an info card that was placed into my bag of coffee and a St. Francis of Assisi coin which I bought at the monastery gift shop.

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. No do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone -Thomas Merton