Exit Life

After Simon Yate's lecture mentioned in the previous blog, John and I were chatting about the risky nature of his (Simon's) life. From that we talked about our own lives and the part risk played in defining our most ' alive ' moments. Here is the poem ( or is it prose? ) that John shared with me. I suspect this is quite an old poem from the ' stiff upper lip ' period as now it is quite fashionable to show emotion and sentiment. However it contains the truth. Also from a Buddhist perspective it is the refusal to accept that life is changing and flowing that causes suffering. So I say take a risk and live.

RISK

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their love.

To love is to risk being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But the greatest hazard in all life is to risk nothing.

The one who risks nothing, does nothing and has nothing - and finally is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrows,

But he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.

Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited freedom.

Only one who risks is free.

Author Unknown.