Some risk money playing cards. Others play the stock market. Some enjoy a trip to the casino. We see it and might be tempted to think: “They are gamblers. Lucky for me I’m not like that”.

Yet if we think about it: We really are.

In life we must place our bets. We can go to the casino and bet our life savings on a number at the Roulette table. The odds are 1 to 37. We win, we multiply our money 36 times. We lose, it’s gone. Most of us will be smart enough to not take that bet.

But we must take other bets.

Choosing a profession is a bet. (Will society still need librarians in 20 years?) Or when we decide to become a musician and go on tour instead of continuing our education at school. When we start our own company. When we risk to lose a friend by having a discussion about a delicate topic. When we decide to tell someone a secret. When we volunteer to help others in far away places or, sometimes, go fight in a war.

We constantly place small and bigger bets. The amount of risk usually corresponds to the possible reward (or loss). (If the risk to reward ratio is not attractive, we will probably not do it.) For instance if we take a safe job at a large company we may be exchanging a lower pay and limited career options for an almost guaranteed paycheck. (So we think, at least.)

I think it’s good to remind ourselves of this truth. The assumption is of course: More awareness of the facts of life will lead to a better quality of life.

And yes, in the end we will lose it all, indeed. We should never forget to include death in our calculations.

The remembering of death can be the greatest help. It can help us make the right decisions.

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Aaaaand once again I am really extremely tired, but another post is finsihed. Good. I will no go to bed and fall asleep in fifteen seconds. Thanks for reading!