Morning Tea

I've found out that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.
You will fail at some point in your life.
Accept it.
You will lose.
You will embarrass yourself.
You will suck at something.
There's no doubt about it.
If you don't fail, you're not even trying.
Reggie Jackson struck out 2,600 times in his career, the most in the history of baseball. But you don't hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs.
Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments - did you know that? I didn't know that. Because the 1,001st was the light bulb.
Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.
You've got to take risks.
Sometimes it's the best way to figure out where you're going.
Early on in my career, I auditioned for a part in a broadway musical. A perfect role for me I thought, I didn't get the job.
But here's the thing, I didn't quit.
I walked out of there to prepare for the next edition, and the next edition, and the next edition. But I continued to fail, and fail, and fail, but it didn't matter because you know what? There's an old saying "you hang around a barbershop long enough, sooner or later you gonna get a haircut".
So you will catch a break. And I did catch a break.
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
You've got to give it everything you've got.
Whether it's your time, your talent, your prayers, or your treasures.
Never be discouraged.
Never hold back.
Give everything you've got.
While it may be frightening, it will also be rewarding.
Because the chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith that you have, that's what's going to define you.

• Excerpts from University of Pennsylvania's 2011 commencement address by Denzel Washington.