Risk vs. Reward


 It continues to astonish me how different all three of my sons' personalities are and how I can mostly predict how they will react in any given situation. My oldest, true to his birth order, is cautious and often most logical in his thinking. My middle son is adventurous, wild and free but not completely without fear. My youngest is a timid observer who only takes risks when there is a guaranteed reward. If I were to take all three boys to a water park, my first born would be happy to ride the slides after his middle brother gave it a test run. The youngest would be content splashing in the shallow end next to me all while watching his brothers play. When we go out for ice cream, my oldest takes his tried-and-true toppings while my middle son risks ruining his cold treat with a concoction of gummy frogs, Nerds and a pile of Maraschino cherries. And as long as my youngest doesn't have to share a shred of his own ice cream, he's a happy camper.

I've been encouraging my boys to take more risks lately. Nothing too crazy. I've prompted my middle boy to push himself more when it comes to his speech. He has articulation problems and struggles with expressing himself verbally. He gets frustrated easily when he feels misunderstood, which is completely normal. I've tried to build up his confidence by telling him how capable he is in other areas. He has no problem climbing walls in the backyard but can't seem to get his mouth to make certain sounds. He tests his own limits and challenges himself to overcome physical boundaries, so why not challenge himself here? 

Bicycle riding (without training wheels) has been a huge challenge for my oldest son. He's afraid of falling off and getting hurt. He thinks he can't balance correctly and gets flustered when I try to help. I know he is capable of riding a bike, but somehow, I don't think he believes the reward outweighs the risk of getting hurt. He prefers to excel at easier things, things he knows he can ace. It baffles me that he can be confident but unwilling to take some risks to make himself better. He's the most positive, optimistic kid I know...except when it comes to riding his bike!

The baby of the family is risk-averse like his mom. However, I see potential in that he is inclined to take on risk if it means a great reward. He has a quiet confidence behind his serious demeanor. He knows what he wants, knows what he likes. And, he is determined to do things on his own, like every two year old should. I think he will definitely take on risks when necessary and shy away from the most risky. 

As for me....I'm in a season of my life where I am definitely stretching out of my own comfort zone. I've talked about this in my Christian small group. I've been "exploring" a lot in the last year, expanding and opening my options. That takes risk. It takes faith. I guess what I really hope for my boys is that they have faith to take risks, knowing that not all risks will result in wonderful rewards. But that doesn't mean they aren't worth taking. You have to put yourself out there sometimes. You have to go beyond what you think you are capable of, try something you feel is not in your comfort zone but might improve your life in a small way.

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