“The only limits to
our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
There is no absolute certainty in any
human endeavor. When there is a reasonable chance of success, the best thing to
do is to go ahead. If you wait till all the conditions are right and favorable,
you may never commence. You may lose many opportunities because of indecision.
You should therefore learn to take calculated risks all the time. In the year
1980, Mr. Ted Turner announced his plans for a new business venture. He
announced that he wanted to begin round-the-clock television broadcasting to
the whole world. This is how Cable News Network, CNN was born. At the
beginning, many people doubted the sanity of Mr. Turner. He was tough enough to
face the criticisms and near early-failure that was the lot of the venture. He
stayed the course and nurtured CNN to revolutionize and redefine the entire
broadcasting industry of the world. CNN matured to become a multi-billion dollar
enterprise and Mr. Turner as a result became one of the wealthiest and most
powerful media men in the world. He took risks and strode to wealth in his
unshakable vision and toughness to stay the course of his convictions. It is a
fact of life that those who always make a difference are those who take risks,
make tough decisions and generally live on the edge.
Those who always play safe, extra-cautious and never take
risks somehow manage to miss a lot of opportunities. They seldom make progress.
People who are too cautious never get to live a full life. I have taken this
statement to heart since I came across a particular poem in July 1997 at Kotoka
Airport in Ghana. While waiting for my luggage, I leafed through a magazine and
a poem caught my attention. I can’t now recall the author but I wrote it down
and herewith reproduce it for you.
“There was a very
cautious man
Who never laughed or
played.
He never risked, he
never tried,
He never sang or
prayed.
And when he one day
passed away,
His insurance was
denied.
For since he never
really lived,
They claimed he never
died.”
Take this poem to heart. It comes handy whenever you become
too complacent.
