What is art—great art—if not a risk at the time it was made?
History books are sorely lacking in stories of people who played it safe. What boring stories those are! History is made by people who took big risks.
In order to embrace risk, we have to practice. We step into it, try it on, and, almost always, discover that it isn’t as bad as the soundtrack we were playing in our heads.
Here’s another one I hear: I want to make sure it’s the right thing to do.
Think about those words the next time you hear them come out of your mouth. When, in the history of the Universe, has anyone ever been 100% sure that their next move was the right move for their long-term happiness and success?
You want a sure thing? Go back to engineering school. There’s plenty of work for you in that field.