"Life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion: to refuse to tape yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge - and then you are going to live your life on a tightrope."

     Philippe Petit

In 1974 Frenchman Philippe Petit took a calculated risk, which took years of planning, and walked across a tightrope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Knowing with one false step he could plummet 1,300 feet to the ground, Philippe walked back and forth for 45 minutes. In an event that demonstrated a life time commitment to continual self-improvement, rebounding from failure while taking calculated risks, Petit's walk across the Twin Towers is one of the most remarkable physical and mental achievements of the 20th century.  The 2009 film Man on Wire told Petit's story and won the Academy Award for best documentary.

The MEAPA Way suggests that individuals, business, schools, communities and other organizations can learn a variety of lessons from this story by watching this news report and this interview with Petit and answering the following questions:

• Petit was extraordinarily focused while on the tightrope as he took calculated risks, how focused are you when attempting tasks?
• Can you explain how his tightrope walk across the Twin Towers was calculated and not done haphazardly?
• What do you think Petit means when he says "you have to refuse your own success?"
• Have you ever "lived your life on a tightrope?" Explain.
• How can practicing self-improvement help your organization succeed?
• As you seek to further your personal and professional development, what lesson/s can you take from this story and apply it to your ability to rebound from failure, take calculated risk or practice self-improvement?