THEY SAY LIFE DOESN'T COME WITH AN INSTRUCTIONS MANUAL
Growing up in Russia, we had a saying for every occurrence. Our parents, teachers, and relatives reinforced these "sayings" repeatedly, ingraining them into our being. I use these easy-to-remember sayings to help me live. At times they pop up out of nowhere. For example, I could rush to do something and make a mistake, and this voice would say, "pospeshish, liudey nasmishish," it rhymes, and the translation is, "if you rush, you will be a laughing stock for the people." I guess my life did come with an "instructions manual."
Even more than that, we have books, sayings, and that little voice inside - our intuition. They all help guide us. It's funny - on Thanksgiving, I forget what I said, but suddenly my dad, with that smirk, says, "yep - smart people learn on other people's mistakes, and stupid people learn on their own mistakes." I heard that very often while growing up. After he said that, I told them I was presenting precisely that in my speech, and my mom was outraged that I didn't include "parents" as one type of "manual." I quickly averted an argument by saying parents are part of the sayings.
BOOKS - There have been many books written that are trying to help us live - you don't have to be a part of any religion to know that there are many powerful lessons and guides in those books. When I was in Russia, we were not allowed to practice any religion. Therefore, I grew up with fairy tales, classics, fables (short stories with a moral), and my parents. When I came to the US, I studied many different types of religions and can tell you they all offer precious lessons - "love thy neighbor," "respect your parents,"
Self-help books are a 43 billion-dollar industry. One can find a way to live without wheat, raise a child, win friends and influence people, and a zillion other techniques. Given the size and the expected growth, I suspect the best instructions manual is within us. We all have our inner guide, but we ignore it and get that one more book to answer our struggles.
As you can see, life is filled with lessons, guides, manuals, and a "voice," in my case.
I will leave you today with my favorite childhood sayings. They may sound weird after the translation, but the message is still evident.
1. "WITHOUT EFFORT YOU WON'T EVEN PULL A FISH OUT OF POND."
This one is clear - you must put in the effort to get anything. Even though fishing seems easy, you sit there - at the end, you must pull the rod when the fish bites. I also like the quote from Sara Blakely, Spanx founder, and CEO, "The difference between people who achieve their dreams and those who don't is simple. It's about action."
2. "BETTER LATE THAN NEVER."
This one is common in many languages and is so true! So follow your dreams and reach for those stars regardless of how old you are. Stop with the excuses! Be the example to follow.
3. "LIVE FOR A CENTURY, LEARN FOR A CENTURY."
I am so grateful for my childhood in Russia. The love for books and learning was rooted in my being! When giving me life lessons, my parents often told me what book to read as a particular character was in a similar situation. We also cherished the wisdom of elders.
4. "EVERYTHING IS GOOD IN ITS TIME."
But I want it now, lol! William Langland coined the term "patience is a virtue." I have to remind myself that when my same-day Amazon delivery is late. :)
5. "MEASURE SEVEN TIMES, CUT ONCE."
Although it originated from carpentry and needlework, I apply it to my emails. Once you hit send, it's gone and can't be undone. You will save time, effort, and regret by checking things repeatedly and going for a walk before hitting "send" in certain situations.
A few years ago, I was working on a project and realized a few weeks before the due date that I needed more time to complete it. I decided to let my manager know. I was eager to share the email and typed it on my phone while rushing to catch the bus. I input his name in the "to" line and wanted to cc one of the individuals I was working with. Do you know that helpful "auto-fill" function? Well, I didn't realize it, but when I hit the first letter of the person's name, an email group was populated instead. I hit send. Oy! I sent an email to the entire company's operations distribution list. I couldn't believe it. I had people emailing me left and right, asking whether they were included in that email by error. If I had double-checked, I would have saved many days of regret and embarrassment.