Deal or No Deal: A Lesson in Risk Taking
Wednesday night I watched Deal or No Deal. I was flipping channels and paused long enough to learn the contestant that evening was from Boston. There wasn’t much else on so I decided to cheer him on.
He was doing extremely well and he truly seemed convinced that his case held the $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 value. Even when his girlfriend and dad suggested he take the offer of $500,000+ he kept going.
He was down to 4 cases I think, I don’t remember exactly, when he picked the one with $2,000,000. No worries, though $1,000,000 was still up for grabs and he was down to so few cases! Alas, that’s when he quit. The offer from the dealer came in at $307,000 down from close to $600,000 and he said “DEAL”.
Oh, I thought, you went all that way with just a few cases left! The odds were pretty good! I wished he had kept going.
The game wasn’t over because Howie makes contestants open the rest of the cases. As it turned out, if he had listened to his gut and truly believed in what was in the case, he would have won $1,000,000. He was holding a winning case.
The Lesson
Take the risk and go for it! Imagine what would have happened if fear hadn’t gotten in his way. If Howie Mandel, the girlfriend, the dad didn’t get in his way? He may have been not $300,000 richer but $1,000,000 richer! (Not that $300K is anything to scoff at).
He got scared of losing it all. But when you think of it, he wouldn’t have lost anything. He came with whatever was in his wallet and he would have left with what was in his wallet (minus the money for new brakes on his car and a dinner or two). He would have returned home status quo, losing nothing.
Do you get wrapped up in what is safe and secure instead of taking chances to see the opportunity that awaits? Taking risks may not always lead to $1,000,000 the first time around, I realize that. But if you don’t take a chance, you’ll NEVER get to the $1,000,000 because there won’t be a first time or a second time or a third time.
Get out of status quo, get out of your comfort zone, take the risk. If there is a dream you have been thinking about, make it happen. The only thing stopping you is you -not your mom, dad, sister, spouse, partner, kids, colleagues. Just you.
I took the risk when I left my cushy corporate job. I took a hit financially, of course, but that’s because I know that if I stick to my guns, the rewards will be so much greater than any company could have paid me as a market research professional. I’m being patient and it’s not easy! But so far each risk has presented something so much greater than I could have imagined (certainly mixed with rough patches). It’s fun, scary and worth it all at the same time.
When will you stop hiding and living in fear and take a chance? When will you go for your $1,000,000? Are you already going for it? I want to hear about it!
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