Is It Worth Risking My Life Today?

By Nikki Stone HERWriter

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I am terrified of heights, something few people would imagine of an aerial skier who launches herself high in the air at every competition. I would literally go in the woods and lose my lunch every time I had to do triple back flips.

So why would I put myself through such agony? For an Olympic gold medal.

I would never fling myself into space just for the fun of it; I needed an incentive. I knew that I’d have to risk doing one of the most difficult maneuvers in order to impress the Olympic judges and win gold. When I weighed the positives and negatives, I realized that the nausea, shaky legs and risk of injury were worth it.

Looking back, I believe I still would have made the same decision if my outcome had been a fourth place or even last place finish. I would have been more disappointed in myself for not trying. I sincerely believe that a 23rd place finish made with every possible effort trumps a podium finish achieved knowing that you could have done more.

Whenever you are faced with a challenging decision, weigh out the positives and negatives. If you saw a bridge collapsing, you wouldn’t likely leap onto it. But if you knew you could save a bus of screaming children, you may consider taking the plunge, because saving lives would be worth the risk you were taking.

Today, decide on a risk that you have been contemplating taking. Make a list of the pros and cons so you can weigh the outcome and see if the threat is worth it. Think through how the results will impact you emotionally. Be honest with yourself on how great the reward could be; don’t downplay it because of your fears. Ultimately, only you can tell if the risk is worth it.

********** Motivational Weight Management Tip **********

As an Olympian, best-seller, inspirational speaker, and Biggest Loser motivational expert, I’m often asked for tips, tools, quotes and activities to help people reach their goals. I like to end all of my blogs with short tools that are driven from actual advice I’ve shared.

This week's tip:

Make sure you come up with action steps that will fit YOUR lifestyle, not anybody else's. Everyone is different and what works for someone else won’t necessarily be a fit for you. Listen to all the options and advice but make sure that you tailor the regiment that works for your lifestyle. If it doesn’t fit your lifestyle you will never stick with it.

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At the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Nikki Stone became America’s first-ever Olympic Champion in the sport of aerial skiing. What made this performance so unbelievable, was the fact that less than two years earlier, a chronic spinal injury prevented her from standing, much less walking or skiing off an aerial jump.

Nikki’s achievements have carried far beyond the slopes as she now works as an accomplished motivational speaker for national and international corporations and was a motivational coach for a national Biggest Loser program.

Nikki has also recently released the inspirational bestseller When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How to Stick Their Necks Out (with contributors Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White, Tommy Hilfiger, and more). For more information, please visit www.WhenTurtlesFly.com and www.NikkiStone.com/

Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.