The Archangels Discuss Weighing Risks with Benefits
There’s such a thing called risk propensity. It refers to someone’s willingness to take a risk, and mine has always been pretty low. I was a single mom for a number of years, and my kids depended on me for everything. Sometimes, I had jobs I enjoyed, and other times, not so much. Obviously, I couldn’t just up and quit a job without another one to replace it, but when things got bad, I would at least start looking for another position.
When things got really bad, I’d let my imagination take off and picture my dream job and dream life. Sometimes, I’d research certain things and see whether or not they were even feasible. There were a few times I found the courage to pursue a dream, but more often than not, after I dreamed for a while and looked into it, pictured what it would be like, I’d put it all away and get back to work.
Then, my father died from cancer. It was the first major loss I’d experienced, and when that happens, it really makes you realize your own mortality, at least it did me. I’d always dreamt of being a published author. At that time, I loved to read romance novels, and I would daydream about writing my own book and becoming rich and famous. I even started writing a couple of books, but I never finished one of them.
After I lost my dad, it occurred to me that I didn’t want to die and wonder if I ever could’ve written a book and gotten it published. I didn’t want to lie on my death bed with thoughts of “what if,” so I started writing that romance novel I’d always wanted to write. My first goal was to just finish it. My next goal was to submit it for publishing. From there, in all honesty, although I still had dreams of a best seller and oodles of money coming in, I didn’t care if it ever got published, as long as I finished writing it and submitted it for publication, because even if it never saw the light of day in terms of other people buying it, I would have at least chased my dream and found the courage to try to make it a reality.
As it turned out, this was right about the time when ebooks were soaring in demand and popularity, and I submitted two books, actually, to a small ebook publisher who wanted to sell them. Over the next few years, I sold seven romance novels in all that were published, and one of them even made the top ten list for Amazon! I didn’t become famous, and I didn’t make a ton of money, but the satisfaction of knowing that I’d pursued a dream and actually made it into a reality was priceless. Looking back, they weren’t all that well written, and they’re no longer available, and I wrote under a pen name (romance novels and public school teachers weren’t a great combination at the time), but I was so proud of myself, felt so fulfilled. It remains one of my greatest accomplishments in my mind, not because of the outcome so much, but because of the process of pursuing my dream.
How many people actually do that? I read somewhere that of all the people who dream of becoming a published writer, less than ten percent ever finish writing a book, much less ever try to have it published. Of course, now, with self-publishing becoming so much easier and accepted, more people are finding the courage to put their stuff out there, and although I’m sure many of them, like me, dream of having a best seller, that’s not why they buckle down and write their book. I think most just want to chase a dream, and I hope they catch it.
So many of us are too afraid to pursue our dreams, and we find ourselves stuck in jobs and/or a lifestyle we hate, resent, but keep because it makes us feel safer or because it’s expected of us. Society designs boxes for us, and so many times, we walk right in, sit down, and get busy working on things that do not bring us joy, hope, love, or peace. Instead, they bring us boredom, dissatisfaction, restlessness, and resentment. And we dream of doing other things.
I think and I hope that that is beginning to change for some people. Not only are more people daring to dream, but they are looking for ways to make those dreams a reality, their reality. The Archangels say heart power will drive the world in the future, rather than societal dictates and demands. More people are starting their own businesses and branching out to do things they have always dreamed of doing but never found the courage to pursue. Many are turning their talents and gifts into jobs. COVID set the stage and enabled this in some ways, and people are still branching out because of it.
Side hustles are huge right now, and not only because people are looking for more money to make ends meet. They’re also trying to find a way to live a life they enjoy more, doing something they are not only good at, but love to do. As was the case for me, they can’t just quit their jobs outright, because, yeah, we all have responsibilities and obligations. They may not be able to dive right into something they love, but they can dip a toe in the water and test the temperature and go from there. Where there is a will, there is a way.
I asked the Angels about pursuing our dreams and how hard it is sometimes to overcome the fear attached to that, and how we can navigate this. Their response follows.
Question: So many of us want to do something different with our lives, but we feel stuck and can’t find our way out of what we do in order to meet our requirements or just to survive. Often, we live in a way that provides security, rather than happiness. How can we get past that and create a life we can enjoy more, that’s more fulfilling?
Answer:
There is a difference between weighing the risks attached to choices and being reckless, just as there is a difference between being comfortable and being stagnant. As with so many things in life, there must be a balance. If you never take a risk, you will likely become bored, dissatisfied, and frustrated. There is a lot to be said for security, especially in these chaotic times, but if you only focus on that, there is little excitement and challenge in your life, and it is less enjoyable. Yes, there are some things you must ensure, such as the ability to obtain food, water, shelter, and other basic necessities, but there is more to life than simple survival, or there should be.
Many of you feel unfulfilled in your life. One of the most common reasons for that is so many of you lack confidence in yourselves, and you are afraid to step outside society’s norms, expectations, and demands. You have been taught to comply and to fall into line, to not questions or make demands of your own. So many of you have dreams that never make it past the dream stage, because there is risk involved and because you lack faith in your abilities.
Have you noticed that when you allow yourself to indulge in and imagine your dreams coming true, you feel excitement and joy? Yet most of you shut that down and force yourselves to get back into line or go back into the box that you have been trained to fit into in order to feel safe and accepted. Sometimes, it is worth taking a risk and following your heart. By all means, weigh the risks. We do not suggest throwing all caution to the wind. However, small steps toward a lofty, beckoning goal can be oh so rewarding.
Just because you have always done what you have been told to do, does not mean you must always do so. If others’ expectations fit in with your dreams, great, but if you have other dreams, dare to pursue them. If you fail, you fail, but at least you will have tried, and that will go a long way towards joy and fulfillment.
There is room and opportunity for you to make your own way and place in the world. If where you are and what you are doing currently do not bring you joy, hope, love, and peace, you should find your way to a new destination, a new way of life that may feel risky to a certain extent, certainly uncomfortable at times, because change always is, but if your efforts and the risks you take are connected to your heart’s desires, if the vision you have upon reaching your goals excites and entices you, it is usually worth the risk you courageously take.
As The Shift progresses, more and more of you will not only see the changes that are needed in the world, you will also see changes needed in your life. Seeing them is easy, for you have always disliked certain aspects of your life, and you have made many choices based on fear and a need for survival and acceptance. What is more difficult is finding and acting on the courage to change your life and create a better life more in accordance with what brings you joy and fulfillment, rather than safety and security. There is no reason you cannot have both, but in order to do so, you must find the courage to not only dream of something better, but to plan and act out those dreams, making them a reality.
You have many gifts and so much more strength and power than you realize. More and more, you will see that following your heart and allowing your dreams to become more important than others’ and society’s expectations and designs for you is worth the risk and pays off in joy, hope, love, and peace, which will overcome and replace the frustration, dissatisfaction, boredom, and stress that you have lived with for so long. Dare to dream, but do not stop there. Find a way to make your dreams into realities.
Final Thoughts
My dreams of becoming a published author became a reality, even though I never became rich and famous from it. That’s okay, though, because the fulfillment and satisfaction of knowing I went for it and reached my goals were and are worth more than fame and money ever could be. Further, I had more joy, hope, love, and peace than I’d ever had before, and it carries over to this day.
The overall theme for this year seems to be seeking out more joy, hope, love, and peace in our lives. The Archangels bring it up nearly every time I speak with them. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, it went out today, and the Angels announced the new intention for Friday night meditations is hope. Hope for us personally, but also hope for others and for the world. They invite us to call on them at any time on Fridays, from wherever we are, and join our energy with theirs in pursuit of personal and collective hope for all.
In the January newsletter, there’s also a link to my website for a free download of an overall health checklist that encompasses all areas of health, including physical, mental/emotional, spiritual, and energetic health to help you find and maintain more joy, hope, love, and peace in your life, because when you have those things, you become powerful. If you don’t get my newsletter, you can go to my website, www.asktheangels222.com and scroll down a little on the homepage, and you’ll find a link for the checklist as well as one to sign up for future newsletters. I hope you’ll take advantage of it, and I hope it helps you. I’d love some feedback, as it is copyrighted, and I’ll eventually offer it to others.
Happy Friday, and I hope you have a great weekend and indulge in some daydreaming, including taking it a step further and thinking of ways to make those dreams come true. Go for it!
Blessings, all.