This last Monday in January 2018 means I have three days left to finalize my New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions which I should have finished by January 1st. WAIT! Do I really “know” that the deadline is January 1st or do I just assume I’ve learned that somewhere. Can I point to a rule that says when resolutions are supposed to be completed. Heck, where is the rule about making resolutions in the first place?
2017 was a worldwide year of talk. There are currently congressional hearings about what’s been said by someone and when and where did that knowledge come from. It seems to me that a lot of very prominent public people have been talking with out ever double checking their knowledge. “Facts” overheard or half dreamed up are tossed about like sneezes… uncontrolled & infecting everyone in a breath’s distance or a news clip’s length.
I’m growing impatient with people who sneeze out “facts” they haven’t personally researched or experienced. Sneezers spew out what they know as facts based on sneezes caught from others. It’s an epidemic. A sneezing reality TV show of fiction vs fact. Theory is regarded as truth without regard to experience. It’s just gossip. Most sneezers are so far removed from the real action of the subject matter their only role in the matter is to sneeze. Even a modest amount of fact finding would give the sneezers an advantage. A chance to contribute in a positive manner. But to do that sneezers would have to gain a little experience first. And… hold back the sneezes.
The last time I played tennis was at least 25 years ago. I’ve forgotten how to score but I remember that if all things are equal near the end of the game an additional milestone suddenly appears called Advantage. It’s a warning to the opponent(s) that they are about to get beat. It’s also an undeserved gift of grace that allows the losing side one last chance. In 2018 shall I just count on a second chance like in tennis or do I create an advantage with experience?
Experience beats presumed knowledge or theory every single time. It doesn’t matter how much thought or craftsmanship goes into a project or how much research goes into a theory. Getting experience is what matters. We can learn a lot from watching others but we don’t finish off that learning until we get our feet in the water ourselves. Our own personal real-life trials. Experience produces the win.
My friends Dustin & Malissa are two people that realize experience is a key advantage in life. They have traveled &/or worked around the world. They spend time and money for additional education. They want to experience the world themselves and not rely on the blog posts of other’s experiences. They are approaching their journey in steps of gained experience. Last week was one of those steps. They put their feet in the water (and their bodies through miles and miles, days and days, of endless undulating washed-out back road terrain) to test theories, concepts, and themselves. They are working on their advantage by gaining experience. Forty three seconds at a time.
Sometimes we have to pass 43 second tests to get ready for the long haul. Do we know enough? Did we make the correct evaluations? What we don’t know, will it stop us? What experience can we gain to earn an advantage?
One last resolution for 2018, I am not going to sneeze. Instead I’m going to gain advantage with experience. Perhaps you can will too!
Jon
Our View From The Road 