Life is a balance of risk against 'doing stuff'. It's not black and white.
Absolutely! We all would not be gathered around PPRuNe if we did not have some sense of adventure, and risk acceptance, flying is like that. As one considers the range of endeavor from totally reckless through to never get our of bed, near the middle will be neutral, with risk taking on one side, and cautiously prepared on the other side of center.
But for my experience, the neutral point can safely shift toward risk taking (and more fun) if caution and preparedness move along with it. One does not preclude the other. Or, on the other hand, you can have so ill prepared, that even cautious is still risky!
I've done a lot of risky things in 'planes over the decades, and luck played a large part in my still being here, until wisdom and experience took over. One of the things I have noticed is that the same activity/maneuver can be more risky in one place, and more cautious at another. Practicing your airwork, forced approaches, and crosswind landings will always be just a little more safe at your home airfield, you will have help nearby.
I was aggressively maneuvering my flying boat on the water last October, just for fun and skill building. I over did it, and hurt it just a tiny amount. Slight repair needed to fly it out. Happily, I was on the nearest lake to home, with a suitable place to taxi it up to easy road access. With a quick repair from home, I was flying it back home no problem. A little problem stayed little. I've landed the same plane for a camping night, in a lake which was 93 miles from the nearest other person, and much farther than that from any substantial "help". I though carefully about the implications of getting it wrong, and was super careful.
Just
think about what you'll do if suddenly things change for the worse. Sometimes there is no choice but to accept more risk, prepare the best you can so you have some kind of out....