At various times in our lives, an opportunity to do something new and/or different comes along. The question we invariably have to ask ourselves is: Do I take a chance and pursue this opportunity, or do I let it pass and stay in my current situation?

Sometimes we seize an opportunity, it results in a disaster, and we regret our decision. Other times we will let an opportunity pass, and we spend the rest of our lives wondering if we made the right decision.

History is full of opportunities lost and of bold actions that went disastrously awry. Likewise, history tells us of many people who were a...