When I Died - Rushing In And Lack Of Caution

This episode covers one of the more dramatic points of my youth where a lack of caution lead to me being declared dead.  However, the declaration was hardly from a medical professional.  Nevertheless, the impact to others was a lesson in itself to consider the source for any messages.  I digress, this focus is on the initial mistake and rushing forward without proper analysis.

We often talk about momentum and how that can work in our favor.  However, it can also work against us.  Boxers and similar fighters will tell you how you must maintain balance and not over extend.  History is also full of examples of momentum gone too far.  The day I got stuck and fell out of a tree is a nice and concise example of realizing too late that you crossed a line you did not want to.  There are countless areas in life where this applies.

There is another side to this where we spend too much time analyzing and then we lose windows of opportunity.  Thus, we have to find that "happy medium" where we are able to see far enough ahead to avoid potholes.  There is also a level of risk we need to be aware of.  We will have times of clear sailing that allow us to run ahead at full steam.  Likewise, there are dark and cloudy times where we need to slow down and proceed with caution.  A lack of caution in those latter situations can cause needless pain and suffering.  The trick is to be aware of your environment and whether it is safe or requires caution.

If you like this season, you will probably like Scott Adams' book, "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life."