Timing matters for all aspects of life. When there is a task to do, you can do it fast or slow, or anything else in the middle. Some things are easy to discern at which timeframe to complete, but others are unclear. Even when it is clear, we should question our timing. There is a time for everything.

To start, there is a temptation that goes along with impatience to speed up the process and do things as fast as possible. We want results. Now. This forgets that some things require more care and attention that comes with slowing down. This is one aspect of the virtue of patience. Sometimes it takes a stronger person to slow down.

On the other end, we cannot be too slow. Life is limited and we cannot take forever. Being risk-averse is too common when we have such comfortable lives. We don’t want to lose what we have. And, more biologically, we don’t want to take risks that will endanger us–that can possibly cost our lives–if there’s a safer alternative. Yet we need to often overcome being overly precautious when the stakes really aren’t too high. It’s like a child in a life jacket that is dipping into the pool for the first time: there’s almost no risk objectively, yet to the child, it appears to be a life-threatening task.

We need to control our emotions. Emotions can be a good motivator to be proactive. As Christians, we have to be actively fighting temptation and constantly trying to move towards God. The safest way to fall into temptation is by inertia: being pushed along this world and slowly being nudged towards sin.  Emotions are also necessary for work and productivity, but they must be harnessed in a nuanced way. We can see the classic example through the arts. Music evokes universal and complex emotions; shows and movies can masterfully draw on universal experiences. The art is communicating just the right things to evoke a connection. It is so hard to communicate feelings earnestly and vulnerably, but it can be so rewarding when it’s done right. For everyone. It can be cathartic for both the artist and the viewer. It’s beautiful.  

There are risks we perceive as disproportionate or superficially prudent, like being scared of social rejection or the negative feelings associated with failure. On the other end, the extreme is being too risky. It’s a failure of prudence to take risks unnecessarily or at a disproportionate cost. The daredevil or thrill-seeker climbing high buildings with no equipment risks their lives with the reward of the thrill of adrenalin. In these areas, we should practice taking calculated risks and sometimes even practice failing to get us to re-assess our risk tolerance. Sometimes we fear from people the simple “No.” We can seek or “go-for-no” to practice.