Celebrate Risk
Composer Franz Liszt was renowned as the most advanced pianist of the nineteenth century. Many of his pieces are so extraordinarily difficult that few contemporary pianists even attempt them.
Helen Grimaud, a French pianist, experiences synethesia, in her case, seeing music as color. Currently 41 years old, she has recovered from a series of severe illnesses including stomach cancer, and has just released a beautiful album called Resonances, where she plays Lizst with an amazing mastery of expression. In her YouTube interview, she says that technical perfection is expected but what is most exciting to her is when she is almost out of control at the keyboard. Why? She states, “The heart best expresses itself in risk.”
Most of us are programmed to avoid risk. “Oh, that is risky” is a code for “Stop –danger ahead”. When I talk to people about The Vegas Adventures, some frown and say “I don’t gamble”. I find myself thinking, “You came to this planet, you got married, you had children. You are a high roller!”
We play with small bits paper money in Vegas to learn better how to manifest our dreams. We do so by encouraging heart energy to flow abundantly. Bathed in the loving safety and support of the group, we become aware of beliefs and emotions that surface when faced with risk and opportunity. Whatever the outcome, there is deep satisfaction with the process because each person has pride that they overcame fear, took a chance, and not only survived but expanded their horizons.
Since risk in unavoidable, is it not better, to learn how to risk intelligently, perhaps even joyfully.
All our technological, cultural, and spiritual progress requires that someone takes a chance. Without risk, there are no paradigm shifts, new products, or original books written. And when we are working our personal edge, whether in relationships, speaking our truth, business, sports, or the arts, we feel truly alive. Coincidence or not, as we approach 2012 we find ourselves at period of very high risk as individuals and as a culture. It will not work to be silent and passive as our world faces intense challenges to our most dearly held values.
I encourage you to shift from feeling that risk is to be avoided, to embracing risk as an ideal way to learn and grow. This is not easy to do. Peter Bernstien wrote a book called Against the Gods, The Remarkable Story of Risk, that spells out the evolving history of risk and the challenge of responding to risk appropriately. But even more than an intellectual understanding, listening to our own highest heart wisdom will propel and protect us. And we just might find, with Helen Grimaud, that our hearts sing in joy at the opportunity to express ourselves through risk.
Copyright 2011 Joe Gallenberger
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Here are some related articles written by Dr. Joe Gallenberger:
Manifestation Tips
Energy Healing Tips
Psychokinesis Tips
Abundance Tree Exercise
Liquid Luck Meditation