Today’s inaugural speech reminds us again that life can deeply decay while leaders on top focus more on safety’s defense than on potential growth. While renewal stretches a brain’s plasticity into growth and change, brainpower is inhibited daily by playing it safe through fear or anxious concern.
Do you maintain safety, while others risk at cutting the edges of progress? 
Wherever people exist, you have some who follow deadpan policies with false safety statements, as if they were gods to be served. Have you seen it happen? Some spout reasons for safe-over-sorry, such as health care coverage – that could be lost with a change. And there’s always a few following flawed rules to ward off hidden dangers that could lurk within challenges they hope to avoid.
Do you lead life-changing progress in your field, or simply stay safe?
Consider the crisis that swept across our nation when leaders refused to balance focus and safety? Why not take risks for better results in our fast changing world? How safe were we for the past eight years when financial calamity, inner fighting from leaders, and greed unparalleled in modern history?
Rejuvenated brainpower brings a world of possibilities – beyond stigmas of safety or havens of organizational defense:
Would you propose improved policies where current procedures prevent progress?
Do you see a new era of responsibility, as President Obama sees, or do you prefer to play safe?
Will you risk running with a new and changing world, or have you settled for safety?
Do you limit new learning while you show, tell or sell safety that prevents progress or change?
Does safety’s slow saunter purge your valor for passion or short-circuit courage to change?
Those who move beyond safety’s petty concerns, will likely find vision- and with it solutions for a world that moans for more. Be it a sluggish economy within broken banks, new approaches needed to solve stubborn health care problems, or collaboration skills to draw differences together into dividends for all – the brain holds capacity change in surprising ways.
The progressive brain can even re-circuit itself in areas that fell prey to safety’s self-satisfied slumps. Ready to challenge old assumptions, risk bolder brainpower, and swap safety for a healthy dose of satisfaction?
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on Jan 20th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Barak Obama’s a real risk-taker. If he had settled, no doubt he would have a great career, but he had in mind much more. Here’s what he said in today’s Inaugural Address about risk-takers:
“Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.”
I’ve been inspired by you and the fact that you are so willing to take risks to bring needed change to tired systems that are stuck in a “safety rut.”
Thanks for the challenge.
Robyn McMasters last blog post..No Holding Back Ella Mae Johnson from Inauguration
on Jan 20th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Wow — what an inspiration right back Robyn! Thanks for traveling to so many countries with me over 15 years, and for the amazing motivation you offer leaders and others who are poised to change! Today again, we’ve been reminded that change is needed and growth will be heralded! Bravo!
on Jan 20th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
What is the opposite of “taking a risk”? “Taking a safety”? Neither makes sense unless we understand the statistical probabilities underlying our current situation, and how our action will have an effect. I think that most of the time, too little is known.
Taking a risk can be the safest strategy, playing it safe can be dangerous, and we seldom have a clue as to outcomes. Therefore, habit, tradition, and the trust in some external authority at least saves us from the work of thinking or the burden of personal responsibility.
Time for a change.
on Jan 20th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Don, this is the opening to a brilliant book – and if you ever decide to write it I’ll be first in line to buy my copy. What a wonderful image to guide reflection, check for thoughtfulness, and mark progress! Thanks for nudging this discussion into deeper waters!
on Jan 21st, 2009 at 1:58 pm
A lot of people don’t even risk saying things as comments on blogs. But, maybe I shouldn’t say that…
on Jan 21st, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Hmmm… your CommentLuv never picks up my blog entries anymore. Where’s the luv, Ellen?
Conrads last blog post..President Obama Reads This Blog
on Jan 21st, 2009 at 4:08 pm
When I looked the comment was there Conrad, can you see it. Thanks for taking the risk to stop by an commenting:-) Makes us richer to hear your wisdom:-)
on Jan 21st, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Do you see it on the first one? I just see it on the second entry.
The reason I’m asking is that Ramana was noticing the same thing on another site when he left a comment.
Conrads last blog post..President Obama Reads This Blog
on Jan 21st, 2009 at 6:29 pm
No, it’s only on second – which means the site was down for a time. I tried to leave a comment on Ramana’s site some time ago and it wouldn’t let me even leave it. Oh well.
on Feb 16th, 2009 at 6:48 am
[...] 34 = Move Beyond Technology that Fails Smart skill 35 = Move People Back to Center Smart skill 36 = Move Beyond Myths of Safety Smart skill 37 = Move Brainpower into Reconfigured Learning Smart skill 38 = Move to Replace Broken [...]
on Aug 2nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
[...] 34 = Move Beyond Technology that Fails Smart skill 35 = Move People Back to Center Smart skill 36 = Move Beyond Myths of Safety Smart skill 37 = Move Brainpower into Reconfigured Learning Smart skill 38 = Move to Replace Broken [...]
on Sep 15th, 2009 at 6:04 am
[...] Robert Kennedy noticed that most people build their best visions more from problems they solve to move forward, and less from opportunities that life hands to them. It’s much like George Bernard Shaw [...]