Winning Words 9/9/10
“You learn something every day, if you pay attention.” (Ray LeBlond) Here’s another piece of good advice for all of us…not just for those going back to school. From my past experience, there’s a lot of day dreaming that goes on in school. We don’t always take advantage of the learning opportunities surrounding us. Where’s that loud PAY ATTENTION! when we need it? ;-) Jack

FROM MOLINER CF: I always thought the railroads got it right..."Stop, Look and Listen." FROM JACK: I like your response. I wonder how many people actually heed that advice at railroad crossings. I wonder how many will heed the advice of LeBlond's quote.

FROM HAWKEYE GS: Fortunately, it never stops -- I hope! FROM JACK: The daydreaming? Or the paying attention? The head of General Motors in the 30s created a job for an innovative man whose responsibility was just to dream. I have a sign by my computer which reads, "WHAT IF...." I'm sure that your company became successful because someone did some dreaming.

FROM JF IN NOVA SCOTIA: ...and if you're open to the possibility that what you learn may be unexpected and initially easy to reject as noise/error or "not of general interest", but eventually prove to be useful. This was the case for Teflon, penecillin, 3M stick-it pad glue, etc. FROM JACK: I think that the Post-It inventor got the idea while attending a church choir practice. "Accidental" inspiration is not always accidental.

FROM SG IN TAMPA: God has a great knack for getting our attention when we think that we know everything. FROM JACK: I remember playing Hide and Seek, when the person who was "it" would say, "Ready or not; here I come." Sometimes God is like that.

FROM PRAW IN ILLINOIS: I thought you might find some use for some of these. Most are stupid. Some have truth in them. Thanks for all you send. Sometimes your message is just the pick up I need as my body and mind ages. FROM JACK: One of the sayings you sent seems to fit with today's WWs: "The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas."

FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: Isn't it interesting how BIG that little word if is. FROM JACK: “If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” (Mercedes Lackey)

FROM DS IN SAN DIEGO: I find I pay attention a lot more in my older years. Is it because we have a harder time remembering things? FROM JACK: Remembering what?

FROM JC IN HONG KONG: Oh, I have an epitath for your headstone!"You can teach something every day, if you pay attention". FROM JACK: In a cemetary in England:
Remember man, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so shall you be,
Remember this and follow me.
- To which someone replied by writing on the tombstome:
To follow you I'll not consent,
Until I know which way you went.

QUOTE FROM OG MANDINO: "Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new."

FROM CJL IN OHIO: Pay attention to dreaming. Many good ideas are here in capsule form