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Hey Reader,

Last week, we started talking about risk.

How we think about risk will either lead to more opportunities or keep us stuck.

​You can read last week’s newsletter here if you missed it or want a refresh.

Here’s a quick recap of what we covered last week:

• Every decision involves risk.
• It’s good to count the cost.
• Playing it “safe” is not the same as counting the cost.
• An option or decision before us can feel riskier than it actually is.
• We want to get in the habit of taking smart risks. We do this by asking ourselves, within reason, if this decision is likely to pay off.
• Not taking intentional risks is often the riskiest thing we can do.
• By not taking risks, we risk becoming a sluggard.
• Becoming a sluggard, living a visionless life, and giving up on our dreams happen slowly, one small surrender and excuse at a time.
• We fear failure, but most of the time, it won’t kill. Failure often makes us stronger and helps us grow.
• If we don’t intentionally take risks, what’s at stake? Our faithfulness, fruitfulness, and impact is at stake. This ultimately dishonors God and fails to love others.

Today, we’re going to talk about:

• How fearing risk doubles our trouble
• How most felt risk is inflated and imagined
• A personal story where I almost let fear keep me from an amazing opportunity

Last week, I mentioned my thoughts are shaped around two resources: this excellent article by Scott Hubbard and this wonderful sermon by Charles Spurgeon.

Both resources expound upon the following two verses in Proverbs

Fearing risk can double our trouble.

Spurgeon noticed that the significant difference between the two proverbs above is the number of lions. First, there was one lion; now, there are two.

Isn’t that just the way it goes?

Because we’re afraid of the current lion (aka the felt risk), we wait for better conditions before moving forward, thinking things will be better tomorrow.

But procrastination only doubles our trouble.

More often than not, it’s best not to wait for things to feel right before we move forward. I’ve learned that when I’m scared to move forward, it likely means I need to press in. I remember learning this lesson several years ago when I almost let fear keep me from a life-changing opportunity.

Storytime: I almost turned down the job that changed my life

A few years ago, I got offered a job to write a song for a big company in Nashville for a large amount of money. You would think I would be ecstatic, right?

The truth is, I was so freaked out that I was angry. Don’t make it make sense because it doesn’t.

This opportunity was something I’d never done before. It felt big. And I wasn’t given much creative direction on how to tackle the project. They gave me the general assignment, and it was up to me to produce something that served their needs.

I wasn’t sure I could do it.

I was complaining to a mentor over lunch, and I could tell that he wasn’t resonating with my angst. The more I talked, the more I realized that nothing was actually wrong. I was just scared.

I had a great opportunity in front of me, but it felt like a lion out there might be ready to get me.

Amidst my unreasonable fear, I told my mentor and wife that I was considering turning down the opportunity. They were both wonderfully unsupportive of this idea and encouraged me to try at least.

I’m glad I did. I loved working on the project. The company loved the song, and since then, I’ve received an annual contract to write many songs for them each year.

Also, without the income from writing these songs, I’m not sure how we would have survived the 2020 COVID shutdown.

Whenever a new opportunity or decision comes along, and I feel this same fear, I think about this story and ask myself, “Am I going to let a lion that probably doesn’t exist keep me from moving forward?”

What about you?

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door.” - Gandalf/Tolkien

Life is scary and full of unknowns. There really are lions out here.

But here are some questions to ask yourself as you consider whether or not to step outside your comfort zone:

• Is this lion real or imagined?
• What is the lion? Make him tell you his name. Name the fear. Think through the worst-case scenario.
• Are you able to avoid the lion? What strategies could you use to work around your fears?
• Could you defeat the lion? Maybe this lion is more like a house cat? A house cat is manageable. You might get some scratches, but a house cat isn’t going to kill you. We can push past this fear. We can conquer it.
• Are you going to let the lion keep you from moving forward? Be honest and clear with yourself about this. It’s probably not going to be easier tomorrow, and there will likely be two lions at that point.

You can process these on your own, but I also don’t mind being a sounding board if you want to email me back - just hit the reply button, and your message will come straight to me. I would be honored to talk with you about the opportunities and felt risks before you.

Next week:

We’re going to continue to talk about risk next week and talk about:

• The real danger has a name, and it is…
• How to feed and starve our fear
• Three things that will help us press into risk.

Forward to a friend

Did someone come to mind while reading this email? Maybe you feel a friend would be encouraged by this series?

Please feel free to forward this newsletter along.

And if you are a new friend of the EGE newsletter who received a forward, welcome! If you’d like to continue to hang with me on the corner of creativity, entrepreneurship, and faith, you can subscribe to the newsletter here.​

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YOUTUBE VIDEO

HOW TO "MAKE IT"

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Photos I've taken recently

Thought I would add a new section here in the Newsletter featuring some of the creative thing I'm out here doing. I've talked about this before, but a big reason why I love photography is that it helps me to slow down and pay attention to the beautiful things right in front of me.

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