Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction” [Alice in Wonderland].
The other day my friend and I were assigned with assembling two office desks. In the store showroom, the pieces appeared as an attractive and functional piece of furniture with a return, shelf, and pull-out keyboard drawer. However, the desks arrived disassembled in flat boxes full of laminated particle boards, metal supports and legs, several bags of assorted screws, and an Allen wrench.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve put together enough of this “do-it-yourself” furniture to be sure of one thing — you need to read the directions (the advice provided by the manufacturer) first. Why wouldn’t you read them? The directions save time and frustration and, hopefully, will keep you from having to disassemble to reassemble. It’s a waste of time to rework your work.
So, as soon as I opened the first box, I reached for the instruction book. “Oh, you’re one of those. You read the directions?!” my friend asked. I started laughing. I’m not sure if he was implying I harbored some sort of deficiency that would cause me to start with the directions, or I was an uninspired clod, but I thought it was hysterical that he would consider starting the project somewhere else other than the beginning.
“Well begun is half done” [Aristotle].
I realize that sometimes people eschew directions, preferring the freedom and adventure of “winging it” and seeing where they end up. My husband knew of a woman who never planned her vacations. There was no direction, rhyme, or reason. She would simply start driving on the first day and then arbitrarily select a car to follow. Today: the brown Buick. Tomorrow: the red Impala. Next day: repeat, and so on. The thrill for her was in not knowing where she would end up each day.
But sometimes, arriving at a particular destination is a priority. (See desk example above.)
And there are still other times where you come across an inspired idea that you know is terrific. However, after careful consideration you realize that “no directions came with this idea” [William Maxwell]. So you forge ahead relying on past experiences, or advice from others, or both.
“Learn from the mistakes of others — you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself [Martin Vanbee].
Perhaps Vanbee’s advice is the best advice of all. To learn from others. Oliver Goldsmith said that, “people seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy.” When I see people “winging” their lives, and hear them say that life doesn’t come with directions, I’m confused. Do they fail to see the millions of instruction manuals walking around every day — those people who provide instruction, strength, caution, inspiration, and perspective just by living their lives?
“Very few people are wise by their own counsel, or learned by their own teaching.
For he that was only taught by himself had a fool for his master” [Ben Johnson].
Not only is it wise for us to benefit from the example of others, it’s also important to recognize that the way you live your life, and the decisions you make, and the manner in which you respond are providing instruction to others every day. It may be your spouse, your children, your colleagues, or your neighbor, but someone, somewhere is learning something from you. You are a living, breathing instruction manual for others.
“If . . . you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning” [Catherine Aird].
If you have a problem to solve a question to answer, or a challenge to overcome, “it’s never too late to read the directions (or look to the example of others) . . . It may be the last resort. It may spoil the challenge. It may insult your intelligence. But, then again . . . it may solve the problem” [Patrick Lindsay].
If all else fails, read the instructions.
Whatever you are, be a good one!
Deanna
