Achieving Greatness by Taking up the Risk

If you want to achieve something great in your life, you should not be afraid to try and venture into new things. You should learn and be prepared to take risks. Playing safe leads to stagnancy and mediocrity. Rather dare to lose and fail, because your past failures really aren't failures but stepping stones for growth.

In the field of business, many aspiring entrepreneurs are dreaming of a lucrative venture and making great wealth out of it. It's ironic that they tend to over plan their business start-up yet their dreams of making it big just remain as it is, just dreams. They were afraid to gamble and invest their hard-earned money, time, and effort because they don't want to meet the possibility that the venture they are planning to kick start wouldn't take off.

But that’s the main essence of taking up the risk, to be prepared for whatever circumstances may occur, even when there’s an unpleasant and unexpected outcome. Analogy: how can you win the $100,000 lottery jackpot if you didn't take a risk to buy a ticket in the first place?

Taking risks is just essential in entrepreneurship. This is applicable in every aspect of life, in marriage, education, and career to name a few. Just keep in mind that it’s better to fail at the things you were longing to pursue and love than to avoid danger by ‘playing it safe and achieving nothing.

During ancient times in Japan, Samurai warriors ruled all over the land and made remarkable dominance in that era. They were Kamikazes, suicidal swordsmen ready to die on the battlefield. This is the principle of Bushido. They believe that their fate could eventually be fatal, and this makes them more aggressive and courageous. And most of the time, their adversaries are the ones who meet their fatal ends. And these Samurai warriors are the ones who end up victorious in war. Expecting the worse yet preparing for the best is the main goal. That's what you call defensive pessimism.

Today, the Japanese people have adapted this principle in every aspect of their lives, though they've been through numerous tribulations such as death and famine that have been caused by the Hiroshima bombing as well as disasters and natural catastrophes such as tsunamis and earthquakes. It’s amazing to see, how come from scratch they've still managed to be one of the wealthiest and most progressive nations in the world. Their ability to bounce back from devastating losses is remarkable.

It’s because they've applied the principle of Bushido. They took up the risk in every field of their lives such as education, culture, business, and technology to name a few.

So if you want to achieve great things in life, always be prepared to take up the risk. Rather taste the lessons of defeat than embrace a meaningless mediocre life.