“Even if it seems you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom or technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat; he plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
We all want opportunities, but just how many of us are willing to seize them when the time comes?
In my experience, the answer is few.
I see so many people trembling in the shadow of opportunity, as if it loomed above them like a mountain. Fear is in their mind; the peak is high, and reaching it will take, time, dedication, and resources. They begin to doubt the value of the climb. They announce aloud to other prospective climbers, “this is a waste of time! There must be another way around the mountain,” as if speaking the words will make it true. Soon after, the risk they have conjured in their minds becomes too much to bear.
But where does the risk really lie? In the opportunity, or in rejecting it?
We are artists. We are entrepreneurs. We are driven to be better. To excel. We are risktakers; and when we feel the urge to climb, we must climb, or stay fixed in the same place for the rest of our lives.
You may stumble on the slope, but eventually you will reach the peak, and realise the climb was a necessary obstacle that allows you a greater perspective on the level at which you now stand.