Teddy Roosevelt on taking risks

In the battle of life, it is not the critic who counts; nor the one who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of a deed could have done better.

The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends oneself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs – even though checkered by failure than to take rank with these poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much. Be wise, they live in a grey twilight that knows not of victory, nor defeat. Nor true sorrow nor true love.

~ Theodore Roosevelt, "Dare"