Life's Lessons!!

As we pass through life we learn many lessons. Some of us learn the lesson the first time; others take many times to finally “get it.” A wise man once said "If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.” We’ve all done it both ways, but repeating the same mistakes can be both painful and, in many cases, expensive. I’ll take this opportunity to share a few of my life lessons with you. Maybe you can avoid some of the problems I’ve encountered.

• Haste makes waste: We live in a microwave society and the tendency is to rush everything. Experience has shown that doing and redoing is more expensive and time consuming than doing a job right in the first place. By being a little more deliberate we end up with more time for other important activities.

• Listen to the other side of the story: Sometimes people come to us with a story so well stated that we buy it to be the whole story. Painful experiences have taught that it always pays to get what Paul Harvey called “the rest of the story.” People see things from their perspective and it helps to get a broader view. The truth often lies somewhere in between the two positions.

• A big mouth doesn’t make a big person: Our society seems to value the outspoken and often just plain rude. While it is often nice to know where others stand, consideration should be given to the views and feelings of others. Being argumentative doesn’t really solve anything. Only time will prove a position to be right or wrong.

• When in doubt, don’t: My sixth grade teacher told me this when I was eleven. I’ve gone against the advice several times and lost each time. Her wisdom has been valuable to me for over fifty years. If you can’t get inner peace about a decision either delay it or go in a different direction.

• If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything: We’ve become a nation of the wishy-washy and full of compromise on too many issues. My studies of both Scripture and the business world tell me that right is right and wrong is wrong. I know this isn’t a popular opinion among “gray area” types, but I’ll take solace in an old Winston Churchill quote,” You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Churches, civic clubs, and even employers struggle due to lack of commitment on the part of their members.


These are just a few of the lessons life has taught me. Some have been painfully learned over a long period of time, while others were easier to grasp and become part of my philosophy of life. When followed they have saved time and headaches.