Recently, my daughter, Kristina, and grand boys, Nathan, 9, and Matthew, 4, were here for a visit. It’s was great fun having them to stay and, as I watched the way she interacts with them, it’s was heartening to see her passing on the lessons she learned from me and her Mum to her own children. Values that I learned from my parents and which still apply today. Having them to stay enabled Sue and I to do many things we wouldn’t normally do and it’s a joy to experience them through the eyes of the children. One great investment we made was the purchase of two plastic magnifying glasses, from the dollar store. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to go on a “bug hunt.” It’s been a very busy few weeks, so I hadn’t given much thought to this month’s article. I came into my office, sat down at my computer and hoped I’d find some inspiration. Nothing. So, I decided to look back at past articles and see if I might find a train of thought that would lead me to an idea. I even went back to my very first article, published on March 2, 2011, titled Ultra Marathon Running: Where do I begin? In it, I wrote about the steps you need to take to tackle your first ultra-marathon race. When I wrote that first article, I wasn’t sure if it was something I’d keep doing. How could I come up with something new to say every month? Well, apart from a couple of times when I’ve been away, I’ve managed to do it. From that first one, I’ve somehow reached article No. 141. I was quite surprised when I realized the range of topics I’d covered, but one thing that struck me was, despite having posted that first entry over seven years ago, the words still have meaning. It’s the same with most of my articles. The months and years go by, but the basic messages still ring true and can be applied as well today as they did when I wrote them. That also applies to the many articles from which I’ve drawn inspiration and information. Just like the ideas we passed on to our children, if a message has value and makes sense, it will stay relevant. So often, especially in business, we feel obliged to come up with the next innovative idea. To be constantly making changes to the way we do things. With regards to some aspects of the way we do business, that’s important in order for us to move forward, especially in this time when technology is constantly asking us to embrace new concepts and we feel obliged to engage with all the nuances of social media. But basic, good practice and sound principles still have as much value as any technological advance and we must resist making changes just for the sake of it. This month, I am going to leave you with the hope that you might take a few moments to consider those valuable lessons that have stuck with you, over the years and think about how they have stood you in good stead whether that be in your personal or professional life, and about ways in which you might pass them on to others.
© 2018 Martin Parnell
www.martinparnell.com
