While driving 2 hours to work and listening to the audio CD, “Reinvention: How to Make the Rest of Your Life, the Best of Your Life” by Brian Tracy, two anecdotes stood out:
These 3 Predictions by Harvard University in 1952 remain true till this day:
1. In any industry, more changes will happen in the next year than ever before.
2. In any industry, more competition will happen than ever before
3. For any industry, more opportunities will come out this year but these will be different from that of last year.
Albert Einstein, lecturing to an advanced Physics class in Princeton , gave a test to the same class for the 2nd year in a row. His teaching assistant, perhaps awed by Einstein’s reputation but also trying to put sense in the situation asked Dr. Einstein why he would give the same test to the same class for 2 consecutive years. Einstein’s answer- “Yes, the questions are the same, but the answers have changed.” Profound answer! Theory of relativity in action?
This reminds me of the story of the priest who gave the same inspiring sermon to his church congregation for 3 weeks in a row. When finally asked by a perplexed parishioner as to the priest’s awareness on his unusual repetition, the priest answered calmly, “Why yes of course, I know that I have repeated the sermon, word for word, the last 3 weeks. And I will continue to do so, until such time that the people who listened to it actually apply it to their lives… Profound repetition!
As a last point, I am reminded of my one of my best bosses who actually reprimanded me once when I asked her an honest question after diligently putting in 110% of effort to the work assigned to me. She called me to her room, closed the door and I was expecting the private reprimand, shielded from the inquisitive ears of the staff. She said that she was disappointed not in my work, but in my question since she knew that I could have answered the question myself and need not ask her. That was the day I learned that there are not only wrong answers, but there can be wrong questions…
When the Student is Ready, the Teacher will Appear,
Reinvented vCoach Bong