Life Lessons from Dogs–How to Cautiously Take Risks with Your Business
03. Feb, 2011 
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The Rover Necktie - Medium |by: Rover Dog
Life Lessons from Dogs – How to Cautiously Take Risks with Your Business
by Regina Morrison
I have two dogs with two very different personalities.
One dog {Gordita} is bursting with confidence. If I could bottle it and sell it, I would be rich. Despite Gordita’s confidence, she is so cautious. She looks before entering a doorway. She is afraid to go under things or walk too closely to the vacuum, you know in case it spontaneously starts.
In order to protect her paws she has mastered the most amazing leaps over puddles. She could set a world record {seriously, you need to see this to believe it}.
The other dog {Finn} is afraid of his own shadow. He is afraid of any new person he sees. He trembles when someone enters our house and hides when my husband yells at a soccer game on TV.
He is my scare-dy cat dog, but he is the opposite of cautious.
He never thinks before he leaps. He isn’t afraid to fall. He knows he will fit under anything and will bang into anything he walks by. Rather than leaping over puddles, he proudly stomps through them.
Is it possible to lack self-confidence, but live life fearlessly?
When running a small business you need a mix – caution and fearlessness. Caution is necessary in order to protect your company, you can’t believe everything you read or hear. However, too much caution will only hold you back.
Very few great things have been accomplished by those who took the cautious road. There are times when a risk is necessary.
There are times when you need to ignore the nagging voice in your head that is holding you and your business back. The trick is to be able to discern when to be careful and when to be fearless.
The best thing to do is weigh the possible outcomes. Ask yourself – “what is the worst thing that will happen if I fail?” Consider these consequences and then ask yourself “What is the best thing that will happen if I succeed?”
Chances are the possibility of success will far outweigh the consequences.
The start of a New Year always gets me thinking. This year I am thinking about living life with less fear. Thinking more about what will happen when I succeed instead of worrying about what will happen if I should fail. I challenge you to do the same…and stomp in all the puddles you meet.
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Great lessons, something to think about for sure.
I love this post. Great advice and of course we all could learn some life skills from our beloved canine companions.
Google “ben franklin close” Have used it for years to make tough decisions. And the “pro” list is ofen shorter than the “con” list, but seeing each “side’ in writing can make a great impact and help decide what are really issues and stumbling blocks and what are not.
Regina,
Thanks for this post. It’s exactly what many of us needed to hear and helps us put things into a proper perspectve.
Denise
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Go for it!! Great advice!
Great article I needed to hear this so for me this article was right on time.
Thank you so much
Debra
Fantastic! And just exactly what I need to hear, today. Thanks!
Thanks! Funny my cat Finn is also a scar-dy cat!
I want to kiss that dog!
cute, cute, cute!!!!
I love your fearful dog who just blindly moves forward. You have given a great analogy for running a business.
I’m trying to be cautiously risk taking myself.
Thanks for a great post.
This a great post. Thanks for all of the inspiration. Very cute dog.
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Wonderful points! You just helped me make a decision
you are right hope folks listen and follow your advice best wishes in the new year
Excellent advice & a great analogy. I know that I have feared many things, but did them anyway. It’s so true that you just have to first ask, what’s the worst thing that could happen & then remind yourself that nothing can happen, if you don’t try.