The Courage to Face Challenges

THE COURAGE TO FACE CHALLENGES J.R.D. Tata ranks among India’s greatest industrialists. At 85 years old, he was still flying airplanes and skiing on snow. When asked about the secret to his vitality at such an advanced age, he replied: “One of the things that keep me young is the fact that I am prepared to live dangerously. You must be prepared to take risks—risk in business, sport, marriage, everything—to make life worthwhile.” (The Hindustan Times, 13 July 1991) There is an American saying: “No risk, no gain.” Why do risk and danger lead a person to success? Because risk awakens hidden strength. It transforms an ordinary individual into an extraordinary one. A person who never faces challenges and always avoids risks becomes lazy and complacent. His natural talents stay asleep. He is like a seed that never breaks open to grow into a tree, or a reservoir that never stirs into waves strong enough to cause a storm. But when danger appears, when life is threatened by risk, a person’s hidden potential awakens. The pressure of circumstances forces him to act, to draw on every ounce of strength. Every person has great potential, but it remains dormant until activated by challenge. To awaken it, there’s only one way: they must face danger.