If I Had It to Do Over

The majority of the Generational Gems we’ve shared with you thus far were revealed to me in my late 20s and early 30s. I firmly believe that had I been exposed to this wisdom a mere decade earlier, it would have altered my career path in a much more productive way.

That’s why we’ve decided to share these gems with you … in the hopes that you may find them educational, entertaining, humorous and worthy of being passed on to younger generations. Maybe, just maybe, exposure to one of these gems might just cause someone to pause, consider other options, re-frame their thinking or simply be a little more open-minded to a different approach.

Today’s gem is another that has been passed down from generation to generation and happens to be created by my favorite author … “Anonymous.” It has certainly stood the test of time because of its simplicity and the vivid images it thrusts upon every reader.

There is a legend of three horsemen crossing the desert in the middle of the night. Suddenly, out of the darkness came a thunderous voice commanding them to dismount and fill their pockets with pebbles. After they had obeyed and remounted, the voice declared, “Tomorrow at sun-up you will be both glad and sad.”

When dawn came, each of the three horsemen reached into their pockets and discovered not pebbles, but diamonds. Then they were both glad and sad — glad they had taken as many as they had, sad that they had not taken even more!

And so it is with opportunities! Life presents us with many possibilities. We sacrifice far too many for reasons we no longer remember … fear, uncertainty, timing, lack of education or experience, possibility of failure and the list goes on. You can change that pattern TODAY.

Take a calculated risk! ACT outside that proverbial box! Expand your current comfort zone. Try something new! Find a mentor. Ask questions. Do research. Take a class. Benchmark. Read. Observe. Listen. In short … take action! Although each of these activities appear simplistic in nature, their value as critical strategies cannot be denied.

To avoid the regrets of the three horsemen who missed an opportunity, consider adapting the above strategies in your search and recognition of the many opportunities which await all of us. Hopefully you’ll never have to utter those sad words: “If I had it to do over.”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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