August 13, 2010 – Friday was fantastic. More than a thousand people filled up the halls of SMX Convention Center and attended the “Success Through Excellence” seminar. The speakers awed the audience with their presentations, the sponsors were happy and I was ecstatic. I was tired but I had a great feeling of fulfillment. “Love for country was the recurring theme.” And so I would like to thank the many who attended and the many who served and made it successful. The event was a risk. Filling up so many seats is no small feat. But this is what life is all about. Living on the edge and taking risks.
Larry Winget says it right. In his book “People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It!” he says that only the people who are on the edge are the ones who made history. Larry says: “In every area of life and business, the people on the edge are the ones who made history. No one who comes from the centrist position- that safe middle ground- ever really had much of an impact on society. It’s the people on the edge we all know and remember. Elvis and the Beatles: Musicians on the edge. Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali: artists on the edge. The United States of America would not exist if it weren’t for a handful of renegades. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were all edgy guys. Gandhi was on the edge.
Good or bad, right or wrong, it doesn’t matter. The people who change history are not the people who do safe things, take easy route, follow the status quo or say what everyone else says or try to make everyone happy. As I read his book it all made sense to me. There are people who refuse to take up challenges. Insists on staying in their comfort zones. Never willing to take risk and will defend the Status Quo to the death.
These are the same people who are timid, average, they are mediocre and these are the same people who will never experience success, as they never stretch themselves to the max. Winget says: “The multitudes live in the middle, living mediocre lives, thinking mediocre thoughts, doing mediocre things and achieving mediocre results. Their income falls in the median range. Their houses are in the median range. Their entire lives are median range mediocre and stuck deeply in the middle. Sadly, most don’t even recognize their predicament because everyone they know is stuck there in the middle with them.” This is amazingly true. One observation I have is that winners tend to find themselves in the company of winners. Losers are similarly in the company of losers. They share the same interest. Giving credence to the old but revised cliché that says: “Birds of the same feather they pooh… pooh… together.”
You and I need to live on the edge. Though we may be few we need to be. The edge is where people dare to defy their upbringing, their education, and their situation to become wildly happy, successful and prosperous in spite of themselves. The edge is the place you get to live once you stop lying to yourself and everyone else and squarely face where you are, and then decide to go to a better place. The edge is where the fun is, where the money is and where true self-satisfaction is.
The best part of living on the edge is that it isn’t crowded at all. Stay out of the crowd and be willing to take risks. Risk loving. Risk investing on books, tapes, seminars and develop a lifetime of learning. Risk trying extreme sports. Risk cultivating new friends. Risk taking up a new craft. Risk starting a business. Life is a gift from God and it is an adventure to be explored.
Yes! That’s right, FJK! “Edgee” people, if there’s such a word, are passionately sacrificial!! But how do we deal stress in an “edgee” lifestyle? It just crossed my mind! Thanks and God bless!!
dear mr francis
Its a good insight. risk is part of life that will always have a good or bad privileges.
Mat 25 “the parable of the talents” tell’s it all. TALENt is not always money it can form of a gift. what talent you have you may use it. my income does fall on a below median range it cannot sustain my family. how could you excel if your consuming concern is survival. But GOD will supply my needs everyday I dont have to worry about that. no oppurtunity comes at me on this time but oppurtunity comes in my life its worth a risk.
we can always aim for anything impossible or unreasonable that’s what creativity is all about
Yeah the article was absolutely right, most people tends to stay on their comfort zone bec they are afraid to take risks thinking that they might fail. Risks that might results to our advancements. We should see failures as stepping stones, rather than stumbling blocks. It is natural for us to fail because we are not perfect, the good thing is that God gaves us his resources, even his guidance, from our failures we learn, we rise and we became better persons. 🙂
As always sir francis you hit the bull’s eye. it is on being on the edge that we might wet, bruised and dirty but it is only there where we can truly appreciate the goodness of our Lord…
i love this topic.,.,. thanks mr. kong.,.,.,.
i really like this topic…… realization on taking the risk..great post Mr. Kong!
This is a great topic, living on the edge and taking risks which I know many people are really afraid of. I am now in this situation but there is a sense of calmness in me that I know that this is where I should be and this is where God wants me to be.
I had a chance to attend your talk last July 13, 2010 at Apo View Hotel Davao City. Thank you so much for the insights u shared.
This time with ” Living On the Edge” made me realize a lot.I was hit too.
Though it may be difficult but I really have to decide and take the risks.
Thank you for being a light to many.. God bless!!
Whew! Sir Francis, this is the last article before typing my resignation letter… here is my story… http://hanzflorentino.com/?p=24
Wow!
It’s been decades since timeshare sales has existed all over the world. Sadly no one has dared to write a book specifically for it. It’s been 9 years since I last attended your house sessions and it seems Ma’am Lillia, your wife, left a curse to my taste buds not to appreciate Laing other than the one she cooked. Yes, I’ve been to Bicol (still nothing compares), and all over the country selling vacation dreams. This has been the work I came to love since then. I am now attempting to write a book, the first of its kind, that will finally chronicle how it’s done. But this time around totally away from the crass mentality and pressure selling that timeshare sales has been known for. Vacation is an instrument of God’s love for the family, that’s what I’ve always stood for. I guess, I’m now LIVING ON THE EDGE, too. Yes, this book will dare the industry where I belong now to change its pespective. It’s a brave attempt to change the world of my kind. Much like Che Guevarra did for his homeland Cuba. A new world order – selling a product with and made by love! I hope you’ll find some time to help me out in my crusade.
Thanks Edison. It’s been a long time now. Thanks for dropping me a note. God bless you.
wow its i nice story of motivation,i like it…thanks sir Francis for your inspiring story.sometimes its good to take a risk even you are in the edge of your fear to gamble into a situation that could make changes in your entire life!sir Francis can you give me an advice, am planning to input my own business, a farm.its my first time!can you give me an advice?…
Thanks Francis for this very inspiring message. It is a confirmation that I really must take a risk to get out of my comfort zone, ..`The edge is the place you get to live once you stop lying to yourself and everyone else and squarely face where you are, and then decide to go to a better place. The edge is where the fun is, where the money is and where true self-satisfaction is. ‘ God richly bless you.