About 20 years ago I took a class involving learning a "system" of selling skills. The introductory class was very cheap - $99 for a full 1 day class (which I knew was all I would need because I was so smart anyway) but the real bonus in this deal was a complete money back guarantee - that if I didn't see anything I liked by the noon break the instructor would refund my entire fee and I was allowed to leave and keep the materials I had been given. This had to be, I KNEW FOR SURE, a Win-Win for me. It certainly was, but like so many things in my life, not exactly as I expected it to be.
You see when I strolled up to the podium at noon break to ask for my money back, not because I was dissatisfied in any way but because I felt the course was just a teaser to sell a much longer, more complete, and vastly more expensive course. And of course, I was right! Key was that the instructor asked me one simple question and waited for my answer. This question and answer isn't important today, but he got me to understand that what I was CERTAIN that I knew maybe just wasn't so certain after all. The instructor extended the money back guarantee until the end of the day, so of course, I stayed. I also bought the entire deal at the end of the day, (several thousands of dollars worth of training) and stayed with him for well over 10 years as a wonderful mentor in what I needed to learn (which I thought was nothing) to continue being successful in my selling efforts. Just a side note here - what he taught me has made me many thousands of dollars return on my investment - much more than 100 times my investment.
Fortunately still today I still face that same dilemma, that the things I feel certain that I know all I need to know about I discover that it is what I learn AFTER I know it ALL that really counts. Just about the time that I stop questioning something and accept it as complete I am surprised to learn something new and different that I thought I had already understood or covered. Does this indicate that I am going to be a life long student? I believe so, and today more than ever, I believe I'm glad that it will be that way.
Everyday things change, people change, and those who stay stuck in the old ways and old learning's are the ones who fall behind or out of relevance. Which brings up yet another saying that this first instructor pointed out vividly to me long ago - "The only difference between a rut and a grave is the length and depth."
So today I'm asking you the readers for a little participation in this blog - I'm requesting that you stop and question yourselves on what you KNOW FOR CERTAIN. Not those things that you maybe think you might know, but those absolutely rock solid certainty items - just ponder, reflect, re-evaluate, and think over just one more time those items just to see what may have changed.
My prediction is that you may discover it is you that changed.
These are my thoughts , what are yours?
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