Elon Musk, founder of Paypal and billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, once said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The lesson here is to never stop pursuing your own happiness to order to satisfy someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With risk taking comes the extra risk of having naysayers try to intervene. Chances are, when you share your plans to pursue something ambitious, some people may tell you to give up before you even start and get a real job like \u201ceveryone else\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What should you do when you encounter these naysayers? These dream killers? Don\u2019t listen to them! Would you rather spend the rest of your life following someone else\u2019s rules? Walking the path someone else <\/em>laid out for you? Or would you rather do something that\u2019s meaningful to you, something that truly matters?<\/p>\n\n\n\nCritics will prevent you from chasing your goals and achieving dreams they deem too far-fetched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But you know what? There is something phenomenal <\/em>in you! You could be the next Bill Gates, Elon Musk, or Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet of the world, and it\u2019s your responsibility, and your responsibility alone, to share that greatness with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDon\u2019t let anyone affect that determination. Your focus should be on surrounding yourself with people who inspire and encourage you to pursue your dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most prominent speakers about the subject of risk taking is Dean Bokhari, a writer, speaker, and philanthropist. He pointed out famous playwright Neil Simon once wrote, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cDon\u2019t listen to those who say \u2018you taking too big a chance.\u2019 Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor, and it would surely be rubbed out by today. Most important, don\u2019t listen when the little voice of fear inside you rears its ugly head and says \u2018they all smarter than you out there. They\u2019re more talented, they\u2019re taller, blonder, prettier, luckier, and they have connections.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nI firmly believe that if you follow a path that interests you, not to the exclusion of love, sensitivity, and cooperation with others, but with the strength of conviction that you can move others by your own efforts\u2014and do not make success or failure the criteria by which you live\u2014the chances are you\u2019ll be a person worthy of your own respects.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Have a Growth Mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFamous actress Mary Tyler Moore once said, \u201cTake chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See, there\u2019s a difference between taking pointless risks that lead nowhere and to taking calculated risks that will pay off in an epic way later on. And there\u2019s a big difference between the two kinds of people who take these risks. Just one word: mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having a growth mindset makes all the difference. Successful <\/em>people who are comfortable with risk taking know all too well that there are bound to be highs and lows, success and failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s when the truly successful risk taker rises to the challenge. Instead of backing out when the road becomes bumpy, they focus on growing and on moving past it. There\u2019s actually a name for those who do the opposite, called a \u201cfixed mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are the people who don\u2019t change the way they think; who get stuck in life and don\u2019t move on, even if they\u2019re the ones holding themselves back. As Helen Keller once said, \u201cLife is either a daring adventure or nothing at all\u201d!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn From Your Mistakes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMistakes are blessings in disguise. As Dean Bokhari said, \u201cLearn from making mistakes, rather than letting mistakes make you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nOf course, everyone knows making mistakes can be frustrating, but that in no way means you should let your mistakes dictate the rest of your life, or as Bokhari put it, don\u2019t let them make you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former United States first lady Rosalynn Carter nailed this secret by saying, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cYou must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don’t win, at least you can be satisfied that you’ve tried. If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, and you don’t branch out, you don’t try–you don’t take the risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Be Authentic<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cBe authentic\u201d is a bit of an umbrella-like piece of advice. When it comes to risk taking, being authentic may be one of the most beneficial secrets you are now privy to. It means the risk you\u2019re going to take is genuinely yours <\/em>and yours alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s important that you are authentic to yourself and your beliefs and not thoseof others, lest it lead to disaster and regret. How many times have people taken risks because someone else in their lives, a spouse, a friend, or a family member, took that risk first?<\/p>\n\n\n\n