[karinnetje]

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To cry is to risk appearing sentimental and soft,
To reach out to another is to risk involvement
To show up and expose your feelings is
To risk exposing your inherent self,
To place your ideas, your dreams, your desires before people
Is to risk loss,
To love is to risk you might not be loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To show strength is to risk showing weakness,
To do is to risk failure,

The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing,
The person who risks nothing, gets nothing, has nothing, is nothing....
He may avoid suffering, pain, sorrow, but he does not learn,
He does not grow, he does not live, he does not love,
He has sold, forfeited freedom, integrity,
He is a slave, chained by safety, locked away by fear,

Because, only a person who is willing to risk
Not knowing the result
Is Free...