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July 2, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The hallmark of a person

Abe Novick: Up, up, and aliya

July 1, 2009

Rabbi Avi Shafran: The Road Taken

The Kosher Gourmet by Marialisa Calta: Get into the holiday spirit with these Star-Spangled desserts

June 30, 2009

Rabbi Binyomin Ginsberg: What makes a great parent?

Caroline B. Glick: Ideologue-in-Chief

June 29, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Beware of 'Caveat Emptor'

Steven Emerson: ACLU pushing for more money for Hamas

June 26, 2009

Rabbi Yoni Posnick: Learn the secret to a healthy marriage from a scriptural villain

Caroline B. Glick: Barack Obama vs. International Law

June 25, 2009

Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf: The Absurd Power of Truth

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip: Everything's Relative

June 24, 2009

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Advancement of technology is a wake-up call for humanity

The Kosher Gourmet by Andrea Weigl: Summer on a stick: Making frozen treats can be easy, creative and fun

June 23, 2009

Martin M. Bodek: 'On Surnames': And so, We Begin

Caroline B. Glick: The Obama Effect

June 22, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Working for a corrupt firm

N. Richard Greenfield : Where are American Jews?

June 19, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Emotion v. intellect

Caroline B. Glick: Israel's rare opportunity

June 18, 2009

Jonathan Rosenblum: Sometimes it is more essential to define the nature of evil than good

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip: Everything's Relative

June 17, 2009

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Language of Confusion

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Nothing pleases Dad more than a thick, juicy onion-smothered steak. Add home-Baked Potato Chips and …

June 16, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Career v. Careersism

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's losing streak and Israel

Richard Z. Chesnoff: ‘Palestinians’: Never Missing an Opportunity …

June 15, 2009

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: How Judea and Samaria can become 'Palestine'

Daniel Pipes: Where Netanyahu's speech failed

June 12, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Some big thoughts about not acting so big

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's High Commissioner

June 11, 2009

Victor Davis Hanson: Our historically challenged President

Mitch Albom: Beware the True Believers

Lewis Grossberger: What we learn from the new Hitler photos

June 10, 2009

Mort Zuckerman: What Obama and his advisors won't -- or refuse to -- grasp about Israel and the Muslim world

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky Lotsa pasta: Tips, techniques and (amazing) taste

June 9, 2009

Anne Bayefsky: Obama's stunning offense to Israel and the Jewish people

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: America's first Muslim president?

June 8, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Merchant must take responsibility for careless shopper?

Mark Steyn: A superpower that feeds on mediocrity cannot survive for long on leftovers from the past

Richard Z. Chesnoff: How do you say 'kumbaya' in Arabic?

June 5, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: In quest of spirituality

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's Arabian dreams

Charles Krauthammer: The Settlements Myth

June 4, 2009

Paul Greenberg: The War Comes to Little Rock

The Kosher Gourmet by Judy Hevrdejs: Splash it on! Tap your inner jazz musician and improvise when stirring up a vinaigrette

June 3, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. Should terrible teacher be exposed?

Jonathan Rosenblum: The Israel Lobby: Missing in Action

June 2, 2009

Dennis Prager: The Speech President Obama Won't Dare Give in Egypt

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Pressure on Israel raises war risk

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review May 10, 2007 / 22 Iyar, 5767

In praise of risk

By Larry Elder


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | I received an e-mail the other day from a friend who thanked me for my advice. Having long ago lost touch with him, I barely remembered the incident to which he referred.


Years ago, he and I spent an afternoon on a boat on Lake Erie, next to Cleveland. He began complaining about his job, and after quietly listening for several minutes, I said, "And what do you intend to do about it?" He stared back, somewhat blankly. I repeated, "What do you intend to do about it?"


He told me that it never occurred to him that he had the option of simply reassessing his situation, perhaps quitting his job altogether and starting something different. He told me he'd once thought about leaving and starting a business, but, after all, that entailed risk and he feared disaster.


I told him, "The worst disaster is to look back and say, 'What if?'" He asked me why I felt so strongly about taking chances, and I told him a story.


When I practiced law in the late '70s, my law firm offered the chance to spend the summer working for the United Way as a "loan executive." As an L.E., I learned to give a speech about the organization -- the percentage of the donated dollar that gets down to the beneficiaries, the efficiency of the organization, etc.


I agreed to participate in the program upon one condition -- that my United Way supervisor assign me to the business division. As an L.E. for the business section, my job required me to meet first with CEOs of medium and large corporations. The CEO and I would then get into a car and drive to a non-United Way supporting colleague of the CEO's, at which time I would make my pitch to the nonparticipating CEO's workforce. I chose the business sector so that I could have some one-on-one face time -- usually an hour each way in the car -- with these successful CEOs. I asked them how they got started. Why they went into business. What mistakes they made along the way. And, most important, I asked, if you were starting out today, knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself?


Mind you, each of these CEOs ran successful companies with gross revenues from 25 million to over 100 million in 1970s dollars. Nearly all started out in humble circumstances, without inherited wealth. They started a business, with some, at first, failing a couple of times. One business distributed shoes. Another shipped goods. Another manufactured car antennae. These 50-something CEOs were, in my mind, huge risk-takers.


But when I asked what advice they would've given themselves as youthful entrepreneurs, all said the same thing: "Take more risks."


These men told me about opportunities they had walked away from, not because they presented poor opportunities, but because they feared taking on too much. Again, many of these entrepreneurs started businesses and failed. But they considered the "failures" learning experiences that hardened and wizened them for future opportunities. All regretted, however, that they failed to stick their necks out even more. "Larry, don't be afraid to fail," they all told me with more or less those same words.


Though I obtained my law degree, I expected my career path to lead elsewhere. I practiced law for about two-and-a-half years and then started a small business that I ran, with reasonable success, for 15 years. I then turned my energies to political and social commentary, and moved into television and radio. I always wanted to write, and managed, in books and columns, to pull it off.


I just turned 55 years old. I consider my life blessed. My mom recently died, but lived to a robust, hearty 81 years. My dad, at 91 years old, still lives in the house where I grew up. We talk every day. I'm lucky that I get to see him frequently, and he remains in excellent health. He takes pride in being "independent and self-supporting." That's his way of declining my numerous offers to come and live with me. He still makes me laugh.


I feel that I perform meaningful work, and I embrace my faith and cherish my family and friends.


But . . . I wish I had taken more risk.

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JWR contributor Larry Elder is the author of, most recently, "Showdown: Confronting Bias, Lies and the Special Interests That Divide America." (Proceeds from sales help fund JWR) Let him know what you think of his column by clicking here.

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