Once upon a time…
Down at the dry dock, the naval engineers were scratching their heads. An enormous ship engine had failed. The ship building company’s executive team called in one expert after another over the course of many weeks. Still, no one could explain the problem or come up with a solution.
Eventually, they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a teenager. He carried with him a large bag of tools. When he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine thoroughly, from top to bottom.
Two executives and five engineers were there watching with bated breath, hoping and praying he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He stretched up and gently tapped something.
Instantly, the engine lurched into life!
The old man carefully put his hammer away, turned and gave everyone a nod and a smile. The engine was fixed!
A week later, the ship building company received an invoice from the old man for ten thousand dollars. “What?!” the executives exclaimed. “He hardly did anything!” They wrote the old man a note requesting an itemised bill.
The old man complied and sent the following:
Tapping with a hammer…… …… ……… $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap……… …… ……… $ 9,998.00
“Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.”
―
Moral of the Story:
The value of experience is not in seeing much, but in seeing wisely. Effort is important but knowing where to make the effort makes all the difference! Some things cannot be taught; they must be experienced. The best lessons you will ever learn will come from your worst experiences. You will not learn the most valuable lessons in life until you go through your own journey. Nothing ever becomes real until it is experienced. One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning. Experience is a great school but the fees are high. Every experience, good or bad, is a priceless collector’s item. Know the value.
“One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.”
―
Affirmation: Every day my wisdom and experience expand.
A wealth of information is available to me at all times. All I need to know is revealed to me as and when I need it. As I relax into each situation in my life, I receive divine wisdom and guidance. At every opportunity, I expand my knowledge and understanding. Being inquisitive is one of my top priorities, and I seek new knowledge every day. I am always keen to learn new things. I value my experience and I am always open for improvement. I am constantly improving my understanding of things. I am smart and savvy. I am wise beyond my years. I eagerly absorb new information. I eagerly learn from every experience in my life. I feed my mind with new ideas and understanding daily. I have access to great stores of inner wisdom.
“No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”
― Sir
