I did not say that; the famous Rousseau said it many, many years ago. He said: "la vie c'est nest pas respirer, c'est agir." The title is my translation.
Recently I saw this message on an office wall. It reminded me of the great wisdom and legacy of this great Frenchman. As a high school student (classical track) in Italy, we were required to read the works of all the major European writers, and Rousseau certainly fit that category. We read him in his native language -- French -- not through a translation. I was fluent in French as a teenager but unfortunately over the years I have lost my fluency, although I can read French comfortably. As a youngman, I admired Rousseau in particular. He lived during a critical period of French history. We owe much to the French revolution and the great writers of that period. They had a profound influence on the US declaration of independence.
The message from Rousseau resonates well in the management arena. Here in Silicon Valley, where I have lived for the past 50 years, I have seen variations of Rousseau's admonition, perhaps, not as elegantly as his. The one that I am fond of is "keep moving! To stand still is to fall behind!" In other words, do not stand there, do something (positively).
During our career journey we will encounter many decision forks. Taking a decision has a great deal of risk; too many unknowns, not enough information, or not enough experience. But choosing we must. The cost of not acting is often greater than the cost of acting. I have seen folks freeze as the proverbial deer caught in the head-lights of an oncoming car. I have also seen people choose without thinking through the risks. In the former case, people get run over by the oncoming traffic; and in the latter case, they wind up in places they do not want to go. There are consequences in both cases; but they are not the same. We gain wisdom through lessons learned. With wisdom, we improve our periphery vision, we learn about hidden pot holes along the way.
I am biased toward action. This bias comes from my up-bringing. I was told that "without pain, there is no gain." It has been drummed into my head to "take the bull by the horns." I have been chastised when I stood there, and I did not do something. I heard many times that "the best defense is a good offence." I was told that it is OK to make mistakes, as long as they not of the fatal kind.
I am aware that others with a different up-bringing were exposed to a different regimen of advice and counsel. They might have been reared to not make any mistakes, and to avoid failure. As a result, I see many suffer from "analysis paralysis," trying in vain to avoid risks. It is not easy to let go of a regimen inculcated in us from our formative years, but trying we must.
If others can succeed, so can you. So, don't just breathe, act. Enjoy the journey along the learning curve. You have company; you are not alone.
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