 Values
Best Practices
Tough Wisdom
Preparation for
Your Dreams
By Andy Andrews
Right now, at this particular point in my life, it feels
as though I’m just getting my fastball. I always wanted
to be a speaker. I always wanted to be a writer. But I
realize now that when I was in my twenties and early
thirties, I really didn’t have anything to say. People
thought what I said was humorous, but I didn’t really
have anything inside me yet that could affect others and
their lives. And right now, at this particular point in
my life, I’m just beginning to understand some things.
Everybody wants to be needed. Everybody wants to be
wanted.
When you understand that, you finally have something
real to offer in the way of wisdom that makes life so
exciting.
As I look back, the most dramatic time of change for me
was when I went without shelter over my head, without a
car, and without a job. I was nineteen when both of my
parents died. By the time I was twenty-two, I had
reached the point where I was actually sleeping under a
pier. That was probably the most important time in my
life, because I used much of the time to read. During
that period, I actually read more than 200
biographies—something I never would have done had I been
living normally with a job and a television and lots of
things to do. Upon reflection, it is strange to realize
that the worst time in my life was actually time spent
preparing me for what I’m doing now more than a quarter
of a century later.
Experience is not what happens to you. Experience is
what you do with what happens to you. – Aldus Huxley
Do you know about John Amatt? He was a member of the
first successful British expedition to climb Mt.
Everest. He was also the first person, at the age of
twenty, to climb Europe’s highest and steepest
precipice—the 5,000 foot “Vertical Mile” Troll Wall in
Norway. It took him ten days, gradually ascending on
minute ledges. He led an expedition to Western China,
where he ascended and descended 24,757 foot Mt.
Muztagata completely on skis.
But according to John, those great accomplishments
looked different in his eyes.
In a personal letter to me, John Amatt shared that, as a
child, he tended to view his life as somewhat of a
failure. He was shy. His shyness affected everything he
did. In high school he had to repeat a grade because his
marks weren’t good enough. At the time John felt like a
failure, but looking back, he believes that that was the
‘best thing that ever happened to him.” Why would a
failure become the best thing that every happened to
him? The same way it can for us. That failure and the
struggle of shyness taught him the value of struggle. He
found that the real appreciation of accomplishment came
from the fight to achieve it. Even though John felt his
strength was not in academic success, he struggled and
completed a degree in education. That was when John
Amatt discovered that “there is no such thing as failure
if we come out of a negative experience with more
knowledge than when we went in.”
John Amatt felt his first experience of true personal
success when he discovered the sport of mountain
climbing. Here was something he was good at. He began
gaining the respect of his climbing friends, which
helped develop the self-confidence he lacked in his
early years. The confidence from developing his own
unique talent began to break down the wall of shyness.
Today, that shy boy is a man who makes his living giving
speeches to major American corporations.
With each famous climb John Amatt has made, he’s had the
best climbers in the world telling him that the ascents
were impossible. By taking it one foot at a time, he has
conquered each mountaintop. Sure John was scared. Of
course there were setbacks. It took John Amatt 16 years
before his dream of Everest was fulfilled.
Now here’s the wisdom I gained from John Amatt. He said,
“Each time I ran up against difficulty, I learned
something new.” This boy, who felt inadequate at
learning, not only gained his degree in education, but
credits his success…to learning!
What are you learning today that will become your life a
quarter of a century from now? What are you going
through that is becoming a wealthy store of wisdom you
can share with your children and grandchildren? The
toughest times are honing the steel of greatness within
all of us. So, let’s celebrate the hard things,
understanding they are the producers of our greatest
potential!
Andy Andrews’ long awaited follow-up to his NYT
Bestseller, The Traveler’s Gift, will be in stores April
2008! Mastering the Seven Decisions gives practical
inspiring ways Andy’s Seven Principles to Determine
Personal Success can be applied to all walks of life.
Andy Andrews’ will be offering a rare open-to-the public
event in February 2008. Not only will you be able to
experience Andy Andrews’ Seven Decisions LIVE, but the
entire event will raise money for the Children’s
Hospital! To find out more about the event, log onto
www.AndyAndrewsEverett.com. To find out more about Andy
Andrews, check out
www.AndyAndrews.com.
back to top |
