Risks

A story was told to me decades ago, but it has stuck with me and is a principle I live by.  I think I think I may have mentioned it before but seeing as I remember it often, I reckon it is ok to repeat it. (Besides, I am at the age where repeating myself is sort of expected.)
A guy owned a manor and needed a driver for his horse coach.  He advertised and got 4 applicants.  His home was high, and he could see the course each driver was to follow.  Down the hill, across the bridge, through a boggy area and then a wooded area until they emerged and returned.
The first three applicants were obviously very good drivers.  Occasionally they were up on two wheels and did the course in seemingly no time at all.  The fourth applicant took a very different approach.  He was obviously a good driver but took the course steady as she goes.  He looked no match for the other three.
Yet when it came time to choose an applicant, he got the job.  The owner told them all, “it is not how close to danger you can go, but how far you can keep from it.”
I have endeavoured to hold to that.  In no way do I promote mediocracy, but I am a big one on sticking within boundaries – even when those boundaries are the size of a western cattle property. 
It is not risks I avoid but needless ricks.  I have heard it said, “if you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much room.”  To me that is humorous, but I do not know it is something I want to adhere to.
I am all for taking chances when I know that the promoter is trustworthy.  Maybe it is a bit like faith.  I am for that but not blind faith.  By blind faith I think of “just because.”  That to me does not cut it.  Yet I do have faith because the promoter is trustworthy.  That does not mean I always understand.  If I did that would make me as big or bigger than them.  Yet my experience and all I know of them leads me to believe I can trust even when I do not understand.
So in life I will take calculated risks but not risks just because I reckon I can.