If you are going to achieve your highest goals, your greatest contributions to the world, you will have to be bold.  You simply cannot achieve everything you want by sitting quietly in the corner, hoping that things will happen to you.  You have to make things happen.

What does it mean to be bold?  To some people, it means to be fearless.  Yet it is more than that.  It is acting for what you believe, for what you believe is right or important, without being afraid of the consequences – because you have considered the consequences and have weighed them while making your decision.  It means doing what you know it will take to meet your goals and objectives, doing what it takes to succeed.

Being bold is NOT being without fear or ignoring consequences.  In itself, being fearless is not good.  It often results in needless tragedy.  When Lord Cardigan led the Charge of the Light Brigade, he certainly was fearless.  His belief was that the superior training of the light brigade, with their outstanding swordsmanship, would easily defeat any enemy.  This lack of fear (coupled with poor communications) led to the unnecessary death of hundreds of soldiers during the Crimean War.   Taking all of your savings to Las Vegas and betting it on a roll of the dice is not being bold, it is being foolish.

:The simple answer is it is almost always in your favor to be bold.  However, before you take the bold step, make sure you look at the possible outcomes before you take action.  This will ensure that the action you take is bold, not foolish.  Use a simple cost/benefit analysis. The safe, comfortable solution may be appropriate from time to time, but always look for the bold step as a possible course of action.