If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
– Donald H. Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense
No pain no gain, no risk no reward.
Update 5/22/2007: MSN Money: The rich have money — and passion
According to The Harrison Group, a research and marketing firm, the people who amassed those fortunes are primarily entrepreneurs — risk takers for whom wealth is a byproduct of pursuing their passion.
More than luck is involved:
One might think that good fortune would play a role, but even luck is largely a matter of one’s own making. Psychologist Richard Wiseman has found that people who describe themselves as lucky share common habits that account for their success: They’re friendly and fond of new experiences, traits that put them on a collision course with new opportunities. In addition, “lucky” folks simply have higher expectations of success — they’re too pigheadedly optimistic to heed the long odds and call it quits.
Not to say that getting rich is simply a matter of having a swell attitude. The path to riches usually involves the kind of risk that would make most people feel a little queasy.
Passion is the driver:
When Frank Darras graduated from law school, all he wanted in terms of material wealth was a middle-class life for his wife and kids. But while working as a doctor’s assistant to put himself through school, he developed a burning desire to help the folks he saw struggling with unpaid insurance claims.
“It was the David-and-Goliath aspect that attracted me more than anything,” says the Ontario, Calif., attorney. Once he had his degree, Darras was like a cruise missile aimed at the insurance industry. By 1990, Darras had his first million-dollar year, and today he oversees one of the nation’s largest disability- and long-term-care practices. “I never thought I’d make $5 million in two lifetimes,” he says. “I just loved the work.”