Some years back my daughter, Mary Kathryn, attended an Outward Bound course out of Rockland, Maine.  This is not an exercise for the faint of heart. The older I become and have experienced the many hurdles that life seems to put in your path, the more I appreciate her journey and what she has accomplished; some things that I would not even remotely attempt.  She gave me a book that is a compilation of quotes and encouraging words from different writers and philosophers that Outward Bound has created.  This little book has been around the house for years and from time to time I have read some of its pages but for some reason it surfaced again.  Funny how serendipity works.  Things and people show up just at the right time.  That is if you pay attention to those kinds of things.  Now I am reading this little book a couple of pages at a time looking for those kinds of observations that might fit with our words of encouragement. This is an example of that.

I was doing some studio work with this lily trying to show the intricacies and beauty of it.  This was an exercise of using light to bring out the best of the lily.  And as I found this quote from an anonymous contributor that I think has merit if you really take your time to peruse it.   This quote is like the light on the lily.  If you resonate to the words, it will bring out the best in you.

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement.

To express feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

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 risks must be taken because the greatest

Hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who asks nothing, does nothing,

Has nothing and is nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they

Cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.

Chained by their attitude, they are a slave

They have forfeited their freedom.