Context is the King!
Being wise comes by practicing the acquired knowledge. Many say – Knowledge is Free! Practice is not available for sale! Without appropriate knowledge, practice yields no better result.
While young and eager to go aggressively at every opportunity, my mentor advised – follow the birds! Took me a while to understand this.
Birds are alert and aware. They are simple but have great survival instincts! They behave true to their spirits in familiar habitats and are extra cautious in unfamiliar territories. It is important for them to sense the trap, smell the food and be ready to fly away gracefully at any instant.
Whatever may be our own knowledge / experience in the subject, only the context decides how effective our approach will be. Context encompasses in real time – the people, practices, cultural beliefs, drivers, boundaries of achievement, risk/reward systems and everything that is essential to make an initiative a success or a failure! This is true in every field!
How well one is alert and aware, makes them effective in any given context.
Some clues drawn from following trail of the birds:
– Include many pauses in your approach. At every pause, Look inward as well as outward!
– Move swiftly, Look all around. Act boldly, but first see clearly.
– Never do it alone! Build a team of team players.
– Be critical of your every move. Judge as you will be judged!
– Remain calm, but keep focus. Be wise – by being attentive, not just smart!
– Be yourself, without occupying everyone’s space in the context!
Be the master of your subject, but always remain slave of the context!
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