Sometimes we're afraid of risk. Risk has an element of fear, because it means taking a chance that might not pay off. It involves the unknown, and we tend to fear the unknown. By avoiding risk, we don't set ourselves apart. And if we don't take risks, someone else will. Then they'll move ahead to seize opportunities that could have been ours.

We will probably make mistakes along the way. But failure is good so long as we learn from our mistakes. Remember Peter's crash on the Horizontal Bar at the World Championships? That risk, which ended in failure, was just the wake-up call he needed to better focus on his preparation for the Olympics. And at the Games, he didn't crash, he scored a 10. Peter has said that "You can always play it safe, but there is always someone else out there who is willing to push the envelope, to take the appropriate chances, and in the long run he's going to end up on top."

In order to risk, we have to overcome fear and realize that the worst that can happen is not failure, but a temporary setback. We can all learn from setbacks. So in reality, by risking, we either succeed or learn, or both. Risk allows us to move ahead and grow, rather than remaining stuck in the same place, satisfied with the status quo.

And of course, the principle of Risk must be applied together with Originality and Virtuosity.

We tend to copy other people. Imitation is often a safe behavior to guarantee a certain level of success. Someone succeeds while doing something a certain way and we imitate them in hopes of achieving the same success. It's true, we can learn from others. But if we do no more than follow, we're always playing catch up. Someone else will always lead the way. If we strive for originality, without worrying about the next guy, we can get to the point where "we have become the standard of excellence, and everyone is watching us."

Think about Peter's innovative handstand skill on the pommel horse. He kept asking, "What if I could surprise the Judge? What if I can figure out a way to do something that's never been done before?" He knew an entirely new skill would set him apart from the competition. Sometimes one can learn something new and original by accident. A crucial moment for Peter is when he fell off the pommel horse in competition and accidentally created an entirely new skill, which he later used to help him win the Gold in the Olympics. "Sometimes we trip and fall over great ideas, and if we are alert, we can pick them up and use them to our advantage."

True success comes with an original idea or an original way of doing something common. Remember, "Stop playing catch up, stop watching the other guy, do things on your own that you know will make a difference." Also, new skills or methods are sometimes learned by accident, usually when we're taking risks. This is how Risk and Originality can work together. And Virtuosity is the final part of the equation.

Showing virtuosity means doing something with the ultimate proficiency and skill, showing that you are simply the best at what you do. The best way to become skilled is to work hard and smart. While we cannot control the amount of natural ability we have, we can control the amount of effort we put forth.

Think about Peter's description of his daily training with Tim Daggett before the Olympics. They had a vision in their minds of what they wanted to accomplish, and how they were going to perform to reach those goals. Remember, PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT... so practice right. What we do over and over again will become permanent behavior. If we approach each day with average effort, we will consistently get average results. But when we place a high enough value on something, we'll figure out a way to get the job done well. In order to apply the principle of virtuosity, we must always remember our ultimate goal, even if reaching our goals takes years to accomplish. And those final goals must be of great worth to us personally. By constantly keeping the Olympic Gold Medal in mind, Peter placed a great value on every workout. And there were big rewards for his little extra efforts.

Virtuosity involves taking a common skill and working hard to perform the task better. Add your own flair. Let your own personality and unique qualities shine through. Risk using your own Originality to develop Virtuosity.