Rhino,

Sorry, but the use of the work risk http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/risk in this case still bothers me. I can see how risk can be controlled Ie. The more you are willing to loose the bigger the risk you will be willing to take. Which directly influances how much you might gain or loose. The might is the luck (gain = good, loose = bad) taking all other conditions, skills and talents into account.

Skill(s) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/skill can be sharpened, and build on talent(s) that as mentioned before is/are innate http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/talent

Luck is the tough part to get past. In my mind, luck or God's will or what ever you want to call it does play into the outcome of any event.

If I decide to get up and walk away from my current job to change carreers, all of the above will come into play. First, my skill (sharppend talents) in deceiding what would be the best course for stability vs high income vs most stimilulating. If I choose to do something that I know I am not (yet) great at, my risks are much higher than if I choose to just change the area of IT that I am in.

Top end sailors probably took a lot of risks and polished their skills to get where they are. If I did not have 5 other mouths to feed, I would probably be more willing to take the risks to get where I current think I want to be. As the children grow up and move out, the less risk is involved.

Sam