Are you sitting on a nail?

 

I have a little book titled Mentored by the King. In this case, the king is Arnold Palmer the guy who literally changed professional golf. The following short story came from this little book and it got my attention.   Enjoy and think.

 

Polls and studies routinely show that most people are conservative by nature.  We loathe change and run towards the predictable even if it's not comfortable.  In doing so, I wonder how often we're missing out on a great adventure.

 

I once heard a story about a man who stopped in a country store in Georgia, one of those great old buildings with high ceilings and wooden floors.  In the middle of the floor was an aging Labrador retriever that kept moaning and groaning, but neither the owner nor the customers paid any attention to him.

    Finally, the traveler asked the shopkeeper, "Is there something wrong with your dog?"

    "Nah," he relied, "that's Buster.  He's just sitting on a nail."

    "Why doesn't he move?" the man inquired.

    "I guess it hurts him enough to moan but not enough to move."

I some times think the same could be said of us.  We gripe and groan, but rarely do we do anything to change the source of our complaint.  We're not thrilled with our lot, but for some reason, we're satisfied with the status quo.  Just as in the game of golf, there's a tendency in life to play it safe, fearing we might overshoot the green or lose our best ball in the lake.

 

"Are you stuck in a rut?  Are you caught up in a frustrating cycle?  It takes guts to get out of ruts.  Imagination is often more important than knowledge.  Maybe it's time to let yourself think new thoughts and dream new dreams."

 

Gary's comment:  This story caught my attention because challenge means potential change - and that's what we need in this business to grow. Some of us are sitting on a nail, and it's easier to sit there instead of making a move to new challenges. I've sat on that nail a few times so I can relate to the story.  Bottom line it's about picking ourselves up and going for the dream.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke