By Open HouseTuesday 20 Jan 2015Open House InterviewsInspirational StoriesReading Time: 2 minutes
Are you risk taker? Many of us have regretted not taking a risk in our lives, even Margie Warrell, a Forbes columnist, advocate for women in leadership, mother of four and the author of Living a Courageous Life. In an interview with Open House, Margie gives us her perspective on risk as a seasoned risk taker.
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As a young country girl with an innate sense of adventure, Margie Warrell could not stay still for long. Leaving home to travel when she was twenty-one, she developed many skills such as taking smart risks and trusting the right people. She warns “often we get caught up being afraid of too many things and fear sets up residence in our lives,” but anything truly worthwhile involves some element of risk. Margie encourages that risks are different for everyone, what someone considered a brave step can be a daily task for others.
Margie Warrell isn’t just referring to the “Bear Grylls kind of risk” but also social risks such as inviting people into your home or calling someone to ask them out. However, even Margie struggles the fear of judgement from her peers, “every human cares about belonging, we want to impress, to be admired and we don’t like to be rejected,” the key is not letting fear take the driver’s seat and control your life.
Yet, even optimism and bravery cannot negate the fact that tragic things happen in the world that are out of our control. Margie’s history of family illnesses and personal battle with Bulimia has allowed her to see the gift in every situation for her and her family, even when it might take some digging. She finds her faith can give her sustenance, to hand over the suffering and pain in prayer even when the outcome is not clear. Her family and friends also allow her to share her struggles and be vulnerable, which opens doors for them to share their knowledge and struggles too.
To live a courageous life we have to expose ourselves to the things we’re afraid of, and have faith in ourselves, “the more we’re willing to take those risks, the more we open up the possibility of creating deeply rewarding lives for ourselves.”