500. People operate from fear or from faith

If you look at people you know, you can easily see who operates based on their fear, and who operates based on their faith.

Fear people hang on to the past, and seek security. They avoid risk. They rarely do anything new. Their lives are based on routine, because routine is comforting and seems safer. They operate usually within the box. They don't think outside the box. Most likely, they've not had a new idea in the last six months. These are not the people who will succeed in the new economy.

Then, there are faith people. They are spontaneous, they always have new ideas, they talk about new things, they search for new knowledge and new insights. They like to meet new people. They embrace change, they welcome the future, even though they know it has a lot of unknowns. These are the people most likely to succeed in the new economy.

Note: I recently noticed a new section at the Indigo Bookstore: Ideas & Trends.

If you study the lives of the rich and successful, as I have, you will notice that they are usually bold and daring. They are risk-takers, but equally important is the fact that they continually seek ways and methods to identify, measure and reduce the risks.

Take billionaire Richard Branson, for instance. At age 17, he launched a student newspaper called Student. With 3,000 pounds of advertising money, he tried to make it work but it flopped. He later said it was an incredible learning experience, and that he could not have learned that stuff at any school or university.

He says: "If you sit down with a bunch of accountants and bean-counters, they will manage to tell you why something won't work. I've found that the best way to learn is through trial and error."

Branson explains that the name Virgin reflects his naivete in business. Obviously, Branson operates from faith -- faith in his ability to figure things out as he does them.

Here's an interesting saying I came across recently: "Ignorance can pay off. If you're smart, you already know it can't be done."

My own business philosophy has changed dramatically in the last few years. I was so cautious before. Now, I shoot first, then aim afterwards!

This requires a lot of confidence, and a bias toward action. This is something my father told me when I was a kid, but I never really understood it. He said: "Aide-toi et le Ciel t'aidera." (Help yourself and God will help you).

Some people might say, "You need to have faith in yourself in order to take action decisively."

I say: "Often, you just need to be stupid temporarily and just do it."

It was IBM founder Thomas Watson who said: "To double your rate of success, double your rate of failure."

Unless you're a surgeon operating in the emergency room, I would say that you have everything to gain by being bold and daring and taking chances. Take a risk. Just do it! Ask for it! Just put on the table your best offer, and see how the other person reacts. Learn as you go. Roll with the punches. Emerge from each experience with greater wisdom and greater self-confidence.

Here's a line from the movie Driven, produced by Sylvester Stallone and obviously containing the insight that catapulted him into Hollywood stardom: "When you risk nothing, you risk everything."