As Only Your Ladder Can.....

 

January 11, 2014

Life Lesson Number 4:

 

NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS LIKE YOU DO

 

     Sound harsh?  Sound uncaring?  But it’s reality.  It’s truth.  It doesn’t mean you have to act and feel this way, but it is the way the world, America, and corporate America is. 

     So what does this mean to you?  How do you function in a world that does not care as much about your business as it does it's own?  Do you not trust anyone?  Do you not take anyone at their word? The answer to these questions is yes, you trust people, you take them at their word, with the understanding that at some point you may be disappointed.  We are all human, we make mistakes, we are forgetful, we are busy, we have our own business we are taking care of.  There is only one that will not disappoint you: God said in Deuteronomy 31:6 and repeated it in Hebrews 13:5 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

    At some point your spouse, your parents, your siblings, your minister, your best friend will disappoint you.  They will forget to do something, they will drop the ball.  These people love you and have your best interest at heart and it still happens.  Think about the world and America who doesn’t love you and has it’s own interest it heart. It doesn’t mean you don’t trust them, or take their word on things.  You learn to follow up. 

     So what does all of this mean?  When there is something important you have to rely on help from someone else to get done for you; when you ask them to do this thing, when you make an order, when you fill out a request.  You tell them, you will follow up and contact them if you have not heard from them in a week, a month, whatever is an appropriate time frame to have what they are doing completed.  It may mean you contact them every day.  Read the account of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-5.  She didn’t rely on someone else, she kept going to the judge until he took care of her business.   

     So when I need something done, I ask myself, how important is it that this gets done and done by such in such time?  My job relies on it, my health relies on it, my school needs rely on it, the needs of my family rely on it, my wife will be very hurt and disappointed if it doesn’t get done, then I am going to do the best I can to do it myself, or at least I let the person I am dealing with know how important it is and that I will be following up.  I ask them if it is too much for them to do this, I need to know now rather than later, and I appreciate them being honest up front when they tell me, they just don’t think they can do this by the time I need it. 

     Another lesson of life related to this I have learned and pass along to you.  When someone asks me can you do something for me (I’m not talking about getting them a cup of water, when I go to the store, pick them up something) I mean something that will require time and effort from me; my reply is, I will have to check with my wife and get back to you.  They say “but I need to know now”.  Then my reply is …… no ………  I have found in these instances that usually the person has gotten themselves in a bind and are asking you to bale them out.  There may be times that I will help someone in this instance, but generally speaking, I’m not going to take time away from my family to bale someone out who has gotten themselves in a jam and want me to own their problem rather than themselves.

 

     If it is something of great importance to you when possible, do it yourself, that way you know it gets done.  But when you have to rely on someone else, follow-up and realize you are placing this most important of tasks that is of utmost importance to you, in someone else’s hands, and it is not that important to them.  FOLLOW-UP.

 

Noone will care about your personal business, your life, your choices as much as you do.  That is why it is up to you to take care of yourself.  Rely on others....but, rely mostly on yourself.

 

ILY Snicklebritches....AOYLDC,

 

Blessings,

Ladder