Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Let them help you.

One of America's most successful business man Lee Iacocca had this to say, "Look at my own career. I’ve seen a lot of guys who are smarter than I am and a lot who know more about cars (he was CEO of Chrysler motors).

And yet I've lost them in the smoke. Why because I'm tough? No you don't succeed for very long kicking people around... no, but because I have displayed an acute awareness and understanding of the human factor and of the notion of service." No matter what happens, one of the most dangerous paths to choose is the path of isolation.

Choosing the option of isolating oneself after experiencing unpleasant things always precedes decline and decay. Proverbs says "He that separeteth himself seeketh his own desire and rebels against all sound wisdom" Isolation is a sign that one is fighting a learning process in one's life. It is a known principle that those who can't get along with people and who are persuaded that everybody else is always wrong will never succeed.

Every worthwhile achievement requires strong leadership, but also organized effort. You can increase and multiply your effort if you allow more minds into your life. No man is an island. It is never good to be alone. Your thoughts and life patterns can never be balanced. A man of wisdom is not only a great thinker he is a man who recognizes the identity of the people God has planted around him or her for their own benefit.

You are surrounded by people who can be of great help, if you will recognize them. Nobody ever made a fatal mistake without somebody in their 'network' knowing intuitively that a wrong decision was about to be made. Treat your relationships as covenants, with integrity, respect and faithfulness and the laws of justice would work in your favour. Keep doing right and wrong relationships would die naturally.

Your integrity would expose 'ill-willed' people. One or two people might disappoint you, you will be betrayed by people of little virtue who are easily given to envy and easily intimidated but don't give up on Man for he is the Lord of the Sabbath i.e. 'your rest'.

I doubt if a person can really have the wisdom to handle men aright if he or she hasn't had his or her fingers burnt once or twice or known the pain of betrayal and unfaithfulness in one they trusted. Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) once said, "money is never spent to so much advantage as when you have been cheated out of it; for at one stroke you have purchased prudence.”

This rule I believe is also applicable to your relationships. You purchase the prudence required through the pain you experience.

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