Life Is for the Gambler: Why Your Vision Requires Courage
Anthony de Mello once wrote, “Life is for the gambler—it really is.” That line stopped me in my tracks, not because it was poetic, but because it captured the truth I’ve seen repeatedly in my work with founders and leaders: life moves for the person willing to take risks. Vision comes alive for the person bold enough to speak it. Value is created by the person who steps forward, not the one who waits.
For years, whether on stage, in boardrooms, or guiding founders through the Magnetic Vision process, I’ve watched the same tension play out. We say we want a bigger future, but we hesitate to take the risks required to build one. That space between longing and action—between dreaming and declaring—is where visions stall and potential stays locked inside. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Every meaningful vision requires vulnerability. You have to declare what you want before you have proof. You have to talk about a future no one else can see yet. You have to risk criticism, misunderstanding, temporary isolation, and yes, the possibility of falling short. But this is exactly why vision becomes magnetic. When you are willing to take the risk of sharing it, people lean in. They ask questions. They start to see themselves in your story. A Magnetic Vision doesn’t just describe a future—it attracts the people and resources needed to make it real. That is the heartbeat of my work and the foundation of my upcoming book, Magnetic Vision.
De Mello warns us about something far more dangerous than risk: wasting our short lives on worry, second-guessing, and hesitation. This is one of the biggest breakthroughs I see in my talks. Leaders suddenly recognize that their current level of anxiety produces no progress, their hesitation is costing them opportunities, and their silence is preventing others from contributing. A vision left unspoken is a vision left unbuilt.
Most people believe vision develops internally before it can be shared externally. In reality, a vision becomes real only after it’s shared. That’s when it gets refined, supported, stress-tested, and amplified. One of the core principles I teach from the stage is simple: vision attracts, silence repels. People can only help you if they know where you’re going. Investors can only fund what they understand. Teams can only align with what’s articulated. Fans, followers, and future collaborators can only support what they can see and repeat. When you share a Magnetic Vision, you create gravity.
Every founder I’ve coached has had their breakthrough by taking a bet on the future instead of protecting the present. Your boldest moves won’t feel safe. Your most meaningful decisions won’t feel certain. Your biggest vision won’t come with guarantees. And that’s exactly how you know it’s worth pursuing. Life is for the gambler. So is leadership. So is entrepreneurship. So is the pursuit of your Breakout Vision.
If you’re ready to move past plateaus, to stop hiding what you truly want, and to stop trying to figure it all out alone, I would love to help you unlock the next stage of your vision. Through my speaking, workshops, and the Magnetic Vision framework, I teach entrepreneurs how to articulate a vision that attracts resources, build alignment across teams and stakeholders, use long-term clarity to guide short-term decisions, and convert dreams into durable value—personally and professionally.
Most people don’t lack potential. They lack a vision they’re brave enough to declare.
If your organization or founder community is looking for a speaker who blends strategy, psychology, and storytelling—and who can move people from hesitation to action—I would be honored to partner with you. You already have everything you need. Now it’s time to declare where you’re going. Life is for the gambler. Your vision is the bet. Place it boldly.
