Skip to main content

On Risk and Growth

Karl Wallenda spent practically his entire life on a high wire, thrilling crowds with his daring high altitude act.  That all need din 1978 when Wallenda plunged 75 feet to his death before an audience of thousands in San Juan, P.R..  When Wallenda’s widow began to sort out what might have happened that dreadful day, she noted that recently her husband had become more and more concerned with little details of safety.  His precautions became a preoccupation.  Instead of all his energies being channeled into performing his act, his purpose had now become how to keep from falling.
Out of this terrible story comes a new label- the “Wallenda Factor.”  It cautions us to be aware of being so afraid of failure that we dwell only on the negatives..  Life is a risk we must take.  While we should be careful in a prudent sort of way, we cannot allow ourselves to become paralyzed by fear of failure.  –C.W. Bess

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Contact

“Between 1305 and the early 1800’s. the House of Taxis ran a form of pony express service all over Europe….   Its couriers clad in blue and silver uniforms, crisscrossed the continent carrying messages between princes and generals, merchants and money lenders.” –Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave We may think we are the first generation consumed by rapid communication but we are not.   Throughout our history it has been a priority. Of course, now in the 21 st century we must ask: are we better or worse for it?

Speech

  “To say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time.”     John W. Roper Those who get in trouble most often are those cannot seem to keep still, remain silent.  Life teaches many lessons.  Among the best lessons of life is one my father taught me at an early age was, “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.” The contributions we make to life via our mouth are many and varied.  Most of the time, I reckon, they are not contributions at all, but things that diminish the richness of life.    

The Price of Misjudgment

“If a man does not judge himself, all things judge him, and all things become messengers of God.” – Nachman of Bratslav ”If I do not accept responsibility for the evil I do, the very earth will rise up to judge and condemn me. The stars, the trees in the wind will provide sentence…”   -Julius Lester