Taking Risks

Publishing “Heaven on the Hardwood” was a huge risk.  Not only in a financial aspect, but the book gives readers an inside and honest look at my life and what I’ve learned through some of my most personal experiences, which makes the book even more risky!  One thing I’ve learned through this whole “book writing” process, however, is the importance of being willing to take “quality risks” in life.  I love the following quote by Lloyd Jones,

“The man who tries something and fails is infinitely better than the man who tries nothing and succeeds.”

The truth is the person who takes no risks in life is bound to miss out on some meaningful opportunities just because of fear of failure.  I think my favorite sports team, the Kansas City Chiefs, made this abundantly clear in their terrible game plan in yesterday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.  The Chiefs had every opportunity to win that game, but due to their refusal to take risks (refusing to throw the ball, not putting Brady Quinn in, punting with 10 seconds left in the half), the team lacked any confidence and “beat themselves” by not utilizing their skills to the maximum potential.

We need to use our God-given gifts by being willing to use them whenever we’re called, and if it means we risk some small things in the process (like a reasonable amount of money, our “got it together” reputation, or even losing an NFL football game), then I think we need to embrace taking those risks.

That being said, there are times when we need to realize some risks are not worth taking (such as driving drunk, sacrificing someone else’s reputation for your own gain, gambling an unreasonable amount of money, or a countless amount of other things that may not be so obvious).  Thus, its essential we pray about any major risk we take and carefully examine and discuss them with the people we trust most.

I’m thankful I’ve taken this risk of writing “Heaven on the Hardwood.”  My goal financially is hopefully break even on the project, but even if that doesn’t happen, I have no regrets.  The implications of my book are more important to me than any money I may have lost in the process.

Below is the extremely cheesy video my publisher made to market my book.  I hope you feel “inspired”…Enjoy!