“I have succeeded in whatever I have undertaken, because I have WILLED it. I have never hesitated, which has given me an advantage over the rest of mankind” – Napoleon

A Quality That Separates Achievers From Others

One of the distinguishing qualities of people who excel is their willingness to do what few or no other other persons have ever done before. In other words, they tend to readily embrace risk taking.

They are the ones you’ll find stepping up when others draw back in the face of uncertainty, looming crisis or danger.

From entrepreneurs to sportsmen and even war generals, the risk taking proclivity of an individual is often what ends up separating her from the rest of the pack.

And it enables her succeed ahead of contemporaries.

But many who have succeeded this way will tell you that it was no easy achievement. A lot of struggle, pain and suffering frequently visits those who choose this path.

In my language (Yoruba), we have a saying : “Eni to ba fe se nkan t’enikan o se ri, a ri nkan t’enikan o ri ri”.

This literally translates to mean “He who wants to do what no one has done before, will see what no one has seen before!”

But Were They Like That From Birth?

Not every person who displays a penchant for risk taking in adult life actually had that disposition in childhood.

I’ve read accounts about people who today are regarded as tough, bold and daring, who relatives revealed to have been quite timid and introverted in their formative years.

And then maybe some personal crises or other potentially traumatizing experience may have led to her transformation. Sometimes she may have witnessed a loved one get hurt, possibly because she was too frozen with fright to take action to solve the problem.

And that memory or a feeling of guilt may have caused her to decide never to give in to fear again.

Sometimes They Take Emotional – And Not Just Physical – Risks!

Yes. Sometimes the achievers I refer to above, set themselves apart by being willing to take the risk of being different, being wrong…or failing in public.

Good examples are inventors who use their creative, and sometimes very contrarian thinking, to develop solutions that help the world’s societies progress.

Before being eventually proved right, those who mustered the courage to voice their inspired convictions were ridiculed.

In certain bizarre cases, some of such inventors were taken by friends and loved ones to have their sanity checked at mental health facilities.

This happened because the ideas they proposed were – at the time – considered ridiculous.

One good example that I’ve written about in the past is Robert Goddard (click to read), who today has the American Space Center named after him.

Read my article titledWhy You May Want To Rejoice When Others Mock You! (click to read)

Help Your Kids Develop Their Instincts

The above example proves that we need to tell our kids to follow their convictions, and never give up.

Napoleon’s quote, which I started this piece with, accurately reflects the mental attitude he had, which made him an exceptionally successful war general.

Historical accounts indicate that he was renowned for being non-hesitant in the way he waged war. And he often put himself in the line of fire, with a boldness that inspired fierce loyalty from his soldiers in battle.

Napoleon posessed keenly developed instincts based on years of applying himself to the rigours of his vocation as a soldier. And he formed a habit of following his instincts. This led him to record many great victories.

The key to your child’s success lies in his/her ability to competently decide when to follow gut instinct.

We humans have always been born with a sixth sense. It’s there, but only when we make conscious effort to develop it, does it really begin to serve us as well as it can.

And the best way to develop one’s instincts is to expose oneself to real-life experiences that test their abilities to their limits. Simply put, let them get a LOT of experience under their belts, in as many challenging fields of interest as possible.

Let them learn what it feels like to be on their own, taking decisions that will determine the outcome they seek.

Give them the opportunity to experience being away from your reassuring and controlling presence e.g. In boading school, as boys’ scout or girls guides members, by participating in competitive sports etc.

They’ll learn to think for themselves, and to decide what they really want in life. And they will eventually develop the conviction needed to decide what they will be willing to go out on a limb for.

That ability will serve them well later on in their adult lives, giving them an advantage over others. And it could even lead them to achieve notable successes in their chosen fields.