The biggest risk? Not taking one.

Risks come in all shapes and sizes. You risk taking a new job, you risk making a mistake when trying something new and you risk losing friendships when you stand up for yourself and your views. You even risk injury when you cross a busy intersection. The list goes on and on. Risk is everywhere. Why do we continue to take risks?

In my opinion, it’s simple. With risk comes reward. And sometimes life-changing rewards. Taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone makes people stronger and happier which can lead to more success. However, it can’t go without saying that with some risks, failure can occur.

Reflecting on my personal life, I realize that I have taken on a handful of risks and challenges both consciously and subconsciously — from choosing to move away from my friends and family to attend an out-of-state college to accepting internship opportunities around the world.

The most recent risk that I have taken, which was quite terrifying, was leaving my job of three years. I left a job that aligned with my college degree to pursue a totally new and different path.

After expressing frustration and loss of interest and passion in my now former career to my close friends and mentors, I quickly came to realize that the career path I had moved to Des Moines for was not one that I felt content in nor that I wanted to spend years doing. I was lucky enough to have support from so many individuals in my life that I fully embraced the challenge of seeking a new career path that better aligned with my personality, interests and passions.

The challenge of leaving the career I knew to embark in one that I was so unfamiliar with definitely had me shaking in my heels. But I was lucky enough to have the support of so many mentors and close friends that I leaped in with both of those shaky heels. And so far, that risk has turned into an incredibly challenging, passionate reward for me. One that I’m so thankful I took.

So whether you’re like me and are considering trying your hand at a new career, or you are simply trying to plan your next vacation, I challenge each and every one of you to try something new. Join a Young Professionals Connection committee or find another volunteer opportunity in the community. Accept a challenge, analyze the risk, reward or even potential for failure and take it on. Continue to push yourself, your friends and family and your co-workers to try something new and take on the challenges as they come; so we all together make a better Iowa.

ABBY RODEWALD works as the manager at Heart of Iowa Market Place, an all things Iowa retail store in Valley Junction, and volunteers her time as the president of the Young Professionals Connection. Contact: president@ypcdsm.com