In 1968 everything seemed to indicate that she was a promising young figure skater. At 19 he participated in some skating championships in the United States, but when he could not make it into the Olympic team he decided to try his luck in a completely different area. He dived completely into the world of fashion. After 16 years as a Vogue editor, when she realized she was never going to fill the position of editor-in-chief, she decided to take another turn in her life and began drawing for Ralph Lauren. Shortly thereafter, he also quit that secure job to risk the launch of his atelier.
Her name is Vera Wang and today her wedding dresses are among the most popular in the world. She would never have succeeded if, after the first defeat, she started crying over spilled milk or contented herself with a discreet position in which she could not develop all her creativity. Instead, he decided to take on new challenges, take risks, and pursue his dreams.
Taking risks makes us happier
Psychologists at Colorado State University agree with all those who intend to take new risks. They have shown that one of the keys to happiness consists precisely in facing new challenges by taking risks.
In their study, they monitored the daily activities of a group of people for 21 days and asked them to report how they felt on a daily basis. They found that the days when people were more curious and dared to take risks they felt happier too.
The researchers also found that these people were aware that happiness isn't just about properties or relationships, but is also fueled by the new challenges that help them get out of their comfort zone. They know that taking on new risks can make them feel uncomfortable or even vulnerable, but they also know it's the most direct way to grow.
Living in the Third Golden
Marvin Zuckerman, a University of Delaware professor who has spent part of his life studying people's tendency to take risks and seek new sensations, found that the happiest people are those who take risks but don't overdo it. .
Compared to the total they would be only 34% and he called them: Golden Third (Third Golden).
In fact, another study conducted at the University of British Columbia revealed that the managers who take the greatest risks are the most successful. The more you risk, the greater the reward. But the thud can also be greater, so it's important to know how to measure the risk.
In fact, there are times in life when we simply need to listen to our favorite song and relax, or enjoy the ritual that calms us down. Even the known can make us very happy, but every now and then we need to look for new challenges because only when we abandon what we know do we discover our true potential.
People living in the Golden Third have reached a point of perfect balance between the known and the novelty, the safe and the risky. They have a comfort zone, but they often leave it to go in search of new challenges and experiences because they feel no risk aversion.
The interesting point is that once we enter that Golden Third, once we leave risk aversion behind, we are likely to find our balance and stay in that zone, because it is unthinkable to return to the monotonous and perfectly planned life. before.
At that point we fully understand Hellen Keller when she said that “safety is above all a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do people experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposing yourself directly to it. Life is a daring adventure or it's nothing ”.
