Taking Risks Because Why Not?

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The idea of taking risks in all aspects of life can be both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. While many people enjoy playing it safe and feel comfortable in their current situation, there are others that crave the excitement of taking risks and seeing where it takes them.

Of course, some of these are less risky than others, and it would be wise to stay within your economic lane when deciding what sort of venture to undertake. However, if done sensibly and with thorough research, it could turn out that such risks were more than worth taking and you might end up in a situation that changes your life for the better.

LOW RISK, HIGH REWARD

Well, not all in, obviously. That would be something highly irresponsible, but looking into solutions to improving your finances that offer low-risk but substantial rewards could be something to consider, as long as you remain disciplined with your activity.

Entering into high reward explorations through things such as the mega millions and other low-risk gambles could end up being more beneficial than you might imagine. Of course, these gambles are low risk for a reason, and so it is unlikely that you will make it big in such endeavours. However, as the saying goes, you won’t win the raffle if you don’t buy a ticket.

YOU’RE A BUSINESS, MAN (OR WOMAN)

While it may seem that everybody is running their own business, it might be that you have identified a gap in whatever market you are interested in that you can take advantage of. Starting your own business is an exciting time, and if you have found something that no one else is doing, it could pay off huge.

Many new entrepreneurs choose to start their business on the side while they are still formulating ideas and doing their research as they build their brand. This saves them from falling into any financial trouble and having to start all over again. When considering your business tactics, ensure that you understand exactly what you need to do to achieve your dreams of financial and professional independence.

First contribution is live on the @nichemovement blog! Check them out for my story about how I found my unique brand.

A post shared by Dustin Ramsdell (@highered_geek) on Oct 5, 2017 at 6:26am PDT

FARAWAY VENTURES

You will no doubt have heard your friends and family and coworkers talk about how simply incredible their travels were. If you have never had the chance to travel, then taking the opportunity while you still can is something that you won’t regret.

While some people elect to take a month off from work and return when it is all said and done, others instead choose to quit their job entirely and embark on a globetrotting odyssey. This represents a massive risk, of course. However, going somewhere wholly unfamiliar can provide you with the chance to learn and discover new things and perhaps grant you opportunities for better personal and professional growth than if you had stayed at home.

RISKY BUSINESS

If you want to experience everything that life has to offer then taking risks is something that you might want to consider. It can be nice to feel comfortable in your everyday routine. However, there is so much to see and do and achieve in the world that it would be foolhardy to miss out on any potentially fruitful opportunities. You will only get one chance to explore the unknown and go for it, so do it while you have the chance. You might regret it otherwise.

My Trouble with Transitions

I have a confession to make; I struggle with transitions.

The sort of large, seismic changes in the status quo of my life. Unfortunately, this has happened several times in the past few years, between graduate school in New Jersey, my first professional job in Maine, and now my current gig outside of Washington, DC. I've had to move all my belongings, get used to a new area, find my spots for the usual stuff (groceries, haircuts, doctors, etc.), try to make new friends, and get used to a new job all at once. It's really hard for me, and I only recently became aware that this is something that really affects my mental health.

The first step to any solution is awareness, so I'm grateful to have figured this out about myself. I can work to do better as time goes on. Nevertheless, it was hard for me at the time for all the reasons I mentioned before, and I also just felt like I should be able to handle it better. I was hard on myself and put pressure on myself to do better and not struggle with it since other people seemingly were able to do it.

There are fallacies interlaid all over the place here. We often only see people highlight reels and never see and hear the full stories. Also, what is hard for one person may not be for another, so we can't get into this pissing contest or comparison with others about what we were able to handle and what we weren't. If something is hard for you, that is your own journey and it is a fair and valid issue to be going through. Also, don't feel like you have to go through it alone. Tell your manager, tell your friends, tell your family even if some of them aren't nearby anymore. Call them, text them, email them, whatever you see fit to make sure you're able to just vent, or perhaps ask for advice.

Change is hard, especially when it is of the large, life altering variety. If we equip ourselves to know what support we need and try to mitigate the impact on our lives, that is as much as we can do. I know for me, it takes a few months to get to a sense of "normalcy". I've been here in the DC area just about a year and I'm still finding my way around and discovering new things. Give yourself a break, and do your best. It will get better (and if it doesn't figure out what you can to not subject yourself to whatever is making you unhappy).

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 06/10/16

Greetings!

Another week is in the books, and that means there is another set of (random) geek outs for you all!

• Haircuts

Moving is stressful for a bunch of reasons, one of them is starting off new with different grocery stores, restaurants, and (the especially worrisome for me) barber shops. I got my haircut for the first time since I moved this week, and it went well! I always dread getting my haircut since I haven't ever had a good, consistent relationship with a barber. It ends up being a gamble each time and it is hard for me to explain how I like my hair. This time was good, and while it is jarring every time I cut my hair shorter, I look forward to going back to this place (White's Barber Co. to give them a well deserved shout out) and starting to build a better relationship with getting my hair cut.

• Couches

My partner, Jenn, and I have been living pretty lean so far in our new apartment. We don't have a lot of furniture but we're making it work with what we have. One big thing we've been missing is a couch. We went and looked around after doing some initial research online ahead of time. It's tough deciding and purchasing these big items. It's exciting though too to build up our place and make it our own. We're not really fit for guests yet, but I also look forward to hosting folks for the first time soon!

• Driver's Licenses (& Other Stuff)

Last but not least, Jenn and I have to get all of our addresses changed on our various profiles, get new driver's licenses, and register to vote in Maryland. Jenn has been taking care of some of her stuff and I've been lagging a bit with going to the Motor Vehicle Administration (Maryland's DMV). It's just always one of those things that is a pain to do but is obviously necessary. Hopefully it isn't too bad when I go this weekend to take care of my driver's license. All of this stuff is the part of moving that is annoying, but hopefully we don't have to do it again for a while (at the very least we can stay in the same state for more than a couple of years).

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 05/06/16

Greetings!

Here's what I'm geeking out about this week:

• DC Animated Shows

I recently saved this article that highlights some great Batman & Superman episodes from their own respective animated series as well as the Justice League animated series. I hadn't really watched any of these series growing up. I was more into the Spider-Man and X-Men animated series of the '90s and other random shows of my youth. They now exist on various streaming platforms, and they held up to the test of time, so I figured I'd check out some choice episodes. I haven't watched everything from this list yet, but what I have watched has been good and inspires me to check out more of these series in the future.

• Captain America: Civil War

I have been anticipating this movie for a while. In the shadow of Deadpool and Batman V Superman, Civil War looks to be a standout comic book movie that handles a lot of characters as well as important themes well, a unique spot that sets it apart from these two movies. Deadpool was great because it was a smaller scale movie, and BvS had a lot of its own problems to deal with, so it read this post if you want to go there. Anyway, Civil War has been getting awesome early reviews, and I'll be sure to share my full thoughts about it after I see it this weekend with my brother to help celebrate his birthday. #TeamCap

• Moving!

I am moving down to Maryland this weekend for my new job, which I am very excited about! I'll be getting my first apartment, living with my partner, building our life together, and all of this is taking place while I start a new job at an awesome new company and live in a cool area neighboring two great cities. I'm looking forward to getting settled in and exploring my community. I know it is going to be a bit stressful getting to that point, but I know it will be worth it. I'm hoping this move and period of newness won't interrupt the regularly scheduled programming here on the blog and elsewhere. I'm going to do my best to plan ahead and have stuff scheduled to go out ahead of time. Wish me and my partner luck as we make this big move!

Thanks for stopping by!