Many people have a strong aversion to taking risks because they’re afraid they might fail, and they worry about what other people will think of them if they do. What they don’t realize is that failure is the most direct pathway to success. As Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda Motor Corporation put it: “Success is 99% failure.” Each time we fail, we learn something of value that assures our future success. Yes, people who avoid risk don’t experience much failure, but they don’t learn much either which means there’s is no future success on their horizon. This makes life a very boring enterprise with little excitement or fun. Actress, Geena Davis, captured this all- important connection between risk and success when she said: “By risking nothing, you risk everything.”
