Stick Your Neck Out – What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

 

Stick Your Neck Out – What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

According to my high school English teacher, Fr. Tom Helfrich? It might get chopped off. But only figuratively. Phew!

When I recently reconnected with him, I brought it up. 

He didn’t remember saying it—probably one of many attempts to get a sleepy class engaged—but he did offer a story that might explain the sentiment.

Back in college, he once told his priest advisor that his life felt uneventful. No bold experiences, no hitchhiking stories. The advisor’s response? “Then go hitchhike.” So he did—$10 to his name, split between his pocket and a shoe (it was the 70s). He hitchhiked across Michigan, bought gas to secure a couch for one night, went to a party on the second night for the next couch, and grabbed donuts after Mass and a snowy ride home with a guy who looked like he wrestled bears for fun and kept a (possibly human?) bone on the dashboard.

His takeaway? Most people are kind. Trust them. Take a chance. Speak up. Have some faith.

His line stayed with me into my career. It helped me navigate cold calls, pitch new ideas, speak up in meetings, call customers even when others said, "No news is good news," and pursue international roles. 

Not every risk paid off. I moved from marketing to an ops role while juggling an executive MBA. Spoiler alert: it was rough—my family still refers to it as my "zombie months." An ER visit marked the low point. But it taught me how to better manage priorities. That insight was valuable in its own way.

So yes, taking risks can lead to setbacks. But if you’re grounded and ready, you’ll bounce back—and sometimes end up someplace better.

Thanks to Adam Boyd for encouraging me to share the messier side of risk-taking. And to Fr. Helfrich for calling me back, sharing the back story, and agreeing to let me write about it for this personal project.

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