Essay on ‘What It Takes to Be Great’ by Geoffrey Colvin and the Theme of Taking Risks for Success Depicted in It

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Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said in a speech during World War II that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. This is agreeable in the sense that people are the only things in the way of their accomplishments. Our fears and emotions are what we have to conquer for us to commit daring acts. Roosevelt was able to get people motivated through hard times and gave people hope on how to escape the fear in their lives. Since they took a bold risk, they were able to overcome their doubts and turn their lives around from it. Geoffrey Colvin’s article ‘What It Takes to Be Great’ describes how taking such risks can grant success. Just like how Roosevelts words influenced people to overcome their fears, taking bold actions can allow you to accomplish the unprecedented.

Taking risks is the only way to get over our fears and develop as humans. Geoff Colvin’s ‘What it Takes to be Great’ provides additional insight on this topic: The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call ‘deliberate practice’ (12). In order to get better at a skill, one must sacrifice their time and dedication, which may and could cost them much; they could lose a lot of freedom to stay in and nurture their expertise. On top of that, if willing to improve, one would have to practice and practice well to get to their desired place. For example, Michael Jordan practiced intensely beyond the already punishing team practices (17). Although Jordan was practicing heavily, he decided to push himself even further. This could have affected his health or he could’ve gotten hurt, but he ended up excelling, so his risk was rewarded. Truly, the only way to escape ones doubts and grow is to just leap for ones goal instead of waiting for another option.

Taking bold risks isnt always the simplest thing to do, but the results of doing them can be rewarding. Fear is a very contradicting emotion, and if we wish to avoid that so we can carry on with our wishes, we should commit to them. Many examples of bravery point to the common goal of doing something impossible, or so they seem to the people facing them. Humanity has been very limited by its own mind, but some few people have pushed past the ‘unbreakable’ barrier and have risen to the top of their field. We should take opportunities to overcome our fears and experience what would be impossible only if we never tried. It has been proven time and time again that fear can and will be bested in order to achieve wonders great and small.

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