In the olden days, the first pioneers encountered the more hostile Indians and ended up with the arrow wounds to show for it. (Not to say that the Indians were without reason to be understandably upset by those interlopers from Europe.) Those settlers who later migrated west often did so with the knowledge of the misfortunes of those who had gone before them.
Over the years, I have learned that the mistakes I have made often times proved as valuable as the things I had done right. Thus, I have learned whenever I enter a new area of life, I seek those pioneers with the arrows in their back to help me become enlightened and hopefully avoid making the same mistakes.
A wise man once told me if he didn’t understand something, he didn’t invest in it. I have come to learn the value of this advice and how often times I wished I had learned this earlier. Many times the grass seems greener on the other side of the fence only because we don’t know where the cow patties lie, or put another way, where the problems exist. As we become more familiar, we nearly always learn—often the hard way.
My advice? Listen to the guy with the arrows in his back.
Disclaimer: Frank Wilem is an author, speaker, and all around funny and entertaining guy. On this blog, his stories are based on his real life experiences, often with a satirical twist.
Invite Frank to speak to your next conference, corporate retreat or club meeting. Ask about having his speaker's fee waived when you purchase his latest novel for each of your attendees!
