Proverbs
I’ve heard people say they want to leave a legacy when they leave this earth, or maybe even before.
I have a different suggestion. Leave a proverb.
Look how long they last.
Aesop left us a ton of them.
• Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched
• Honesty is the best policy
• Look before you leap
• A man is known by the company he keeps
• Share and share alike
What if you could come up with one? Wouldn’t that be fun?
What’s your proverb?
What are you learning in this life that you can pass on in bite-sized form?
I’m not asking you to come up with a book, a short story, a poem or an essay. I’m suggesting that you leave a proverb – something that when digested sticks to your ribs.
It’s got to be pithy. (That word always sounds like you’re lisping when you say it aloud).
It’s got to be deeper than a mom or dad-ism or a joke you’re famous for telling. It’s got to be universal and memorable enough to cross the centuries.
Whether you come up with one or not, it’s the pursuit of this endeavor that delivers focus. You get to find out the lesson that’s most important for you to learn.
Here’s my candidate for a proverb: Know nothing; learn everything.
I sincerely doubt it’s going to be one of the most memorable ones, but it’s meaningful to me. Crafting my proverb tells me that whatever I “know” is getting in the way of me knowing more. I, like you, shut down when I know. My curiosity takes a long nap and I miss a lot.
I request that you put together a proverb. If nothing else, it will show you what’s important to you and illustrate the lesson you want to learn in this life.
Who knows, perhaps your proverb will be the one they’ll be citing centuries from now.
All the best,
John
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