Hello hiveGhana community🤗
Trust we're all doing good? These are amazing topics for the week, and as always, I'm happy to share my thoughts with us as we grow together.
Honestly,I know I've taken risks, but can't remember what they were, I guess because they weren't that big. I'll tell you all a story, this happened to my old time friend when we were living very close to each other. The moment I saw this prompt, Chidi was the first person that came to my mind.
Walk with me as I share this story.
“Risk” we all know does not always appear with sirens, red lights or danger signs. Sometimes, it shows up quietly, in the form of a choice that looks ordinary at first, it could be a resignation letter, a ticket to a new city, a raised hand in a crowded hall. I see all of these as risks.
I remember Chidi, a young man I know who worked at a large supermarket very close to my residence. His job was very stable, you know the kind of work that gave him a small salary at the end of every month, it was enough to eat and cover rent if he was careful with it.
But this wasn't what he wanted, Chidi had a passion that didn’t fit into the narrow aisles of that store. He had told me in one of our conversations that he wanted to open a bakery. Not just a small shop for bread and snacks, but a big place, where people could sit, talk, refresh and feel at home.
The problem was very clear, his savings were thin, and the market was already crowded. Most of his friends told him to be wise, and hold on to what he had. At some point even his mother, who loved him dearly, was always worried.
But one evening, after he had closed from work, Chidi wrote his resignation letter. I'm sure his hands were shaking as he signed it, considering all that was going on at that point, that was his risk. He wasn't certain what the outcome would be, this is what I think about risk, it's uncertain.
At first, the bakery was a mess. He burnt more loaves than he sold. He doubted if he could ever make it. But, little by little, the smell of warm bread began to draw neighbors. Little by little those empty chairs he stared at every morning got filled up.
Watching Chidi, I realized something about risk, it looks like coins or Naira notes you count a number of times to be sure. Risk is not about chasing danger, it is about choosing growth when you're not certain of what the outcome would be. This was the case of Chidi.
But the truth is that risk is not limited to only businesses. I saw it again in Henrietta my course mate, a very quiet girl. She is so brilliant, but I noticed she rarely speaks in class, always afraid of her accent, yeah.. she has this thick Ibibio tongue that's so obvious whenever she speaks, she’s always afraid others would laugh.
One day, during a heated seminar, she lifted her hand.I was surprised she raised her hands too, you could see the fear in her eyes. But when she spoke, her words were sharp, clear, and unforgettable.
I saw that act as a risk, risking her voice. This shifted the way people saw her. And ever since that day, she became one of the most respected students in the department.
That is the strange truth of risk, it is not always about life-threatening and uncertain leaps. Sometimes it is about daring to show your true self, to place your fragile dream in the open where it can be mocked, misunderstood, or just maybe, celebrated, all depends on what you get back, it is not promised anyway.
Of course, risk carries failure in its shadow too. Not every bakery succeeds. Not every voice is welcomed. A lot of people didn't also succeed in the leap of faith they took. But the act of risking is itself a kind of success, because it breaks the prison of “what if” and replaces it with experience. Even when failure comes, it carries a lesson that safety can never teach.
The thing is that risk is everywhere. I've seen some parent who leaves a secure city job to farm in the village, a young graduate who submits an application for a position they think is “too big.” A friend who confesses their love, not knowing if the feeling will be returned. Each step of risk you take always opens a door that would've remained unlocked if you never tried.
So maybe the real question is not whether to take risks, but which ones are actually worth taking. Because at the heart of every risk lies possibility, the chance to fail, yes, but also the chance to discover a larger version of yourself, you can never know if that one uncertain step you take can help you achieve that biggest dream you've always dreamt of.
Maybe, just maybe you should take that risk.