I think that often times our doubts, our fears, our uncertainties, our insecurities, hold us back. We talk of all the barriers in front of us before we stop and realize we've created 3/4 of them, and the other fourth are things we can't control or will never know the answer to what they truly hold until we try to break through them.
We close ourselves in, we shut ourselves down, we let our greatest ideas, our strongest passions, our biggest dreams fall to the way side. We miss out. We never know. We wait for the 'right time' and fail to acknowledge time waits for no one.
Then somewhere between all that doubt, uncertainty, waiting, and holding back it becomes..too late. I guess in another breath it's "Never too late" but then again…as much as we don't want to realize it, sometimes it is. Whether the patent was taken, or we suddenly lose our health, there are times when “too late” is the case.
It really seems to me, at the end of the day, none of the greatest things in this world would've happened without great risk:
Benjamin Franklin- 1752 on a stormy day ventures outside, flies a kite into the air with a key attached to it and feels an electric shock go through his body, inventing electricity. How many of you are ready to head outside during a lightning storm and fly a kite with a key attached to it and shock yourself to help change the world forever? RISK.
Chuck Yeager- First person to break the sound barrier in 1947, flying the experimental Bell X-1 at Mach 1 at 45,000 feet. A flying career of more than 60 years and a brigadier general in the United States Army Air Forces.
Neil Armstrong-First person to set foot on the moon in 1966, also one of the first US civilians to go into space. Performed the first manned docking of two spacecraft. Commander of Apollo 11, explored the moon’s surface for 2 ½ hours with Buzz Aldrin all to bring back research about outer space to earth.
Lance Armstrong- Most of us have trouble getting ourselves to go to the gym for 30 minutes a day. Lance Armstrong battled cancer and has gone on to push his body and mind beyond limits other people only dream about. Winning seven consecutive Tour De France’s and coining the phrase “Live Strong” he has now aided in donating millions of dollars to cancer research.
Sir Richard Branson- Set up Virgin Records, eventually expanding to an airline, Virgin Atlantic, pioneer of numerous humanitarian initiatives. Attempted the fasting Atlantic Ocean crossing, First hot air balloon crossing of the Atlantic, attempted to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon, Fastest crossing of the English channel in an amphibious vehicle. This guy never stops taking risk as an entrepreneur and being innovative.
Mother Teresa-Dedicated her life to ministering to the sick, poor, dying and orphaned. At the time of her death Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity were operating 610 missions in 123 countries, helping millions of people. Awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1979.
All of these people took such great risks and all of these risks lead to such amazing, important achievements. Risk and faith are so important in all of the things we do every day. In business, in life, in love, in everything we do. Taking risks on things were unsure of is often the only way we ever truly know the answer to anything. Whether that risk turns into something that goes nowhere or you happen to invent electricity…..the risk was the first step.
The word “risk” sometimes has a really negative connotation because I think often times we associate it with, “failure”, “scary”, “venerable”, and “impulsive.” The truth is, it is possibly ALL those things, but it is also “courageous,” “necessary for change,” “passionate,” “rewarding”, “life changing”, and the one way you’ll really ever have an answer to some of your most important dreams and desires.
So get out there, take a risk, and get your answer. Be electric, break a sound barrier, reach for the moon, live strong, circumnavigate the globe, and help people who need it most.
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