The term ‘ecclesiastes’ means assembly-man, and scholars of ancient writings believe the writer of that particular chapter in the bible titled Ecclesiastes, was a person with the ability to give wise counsel. My favorite part is at the end, where the writer opines that “Of the making of books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.†I have two thoughts on that at the moment. Having just finished being a full time student for three years at VCU, culminating in earning my Bachelors degree from the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and graduating May 17, 2008, much study does lead to weariness and sometimes exhaustion.
As to the making of books finding no end that is highlighted when shopping for something new to read at Books A Million. Thank goodness I was looking for one specific book when I went there several days ago. I had watched an interview by Tavis Smiley with Magic Johnson, formerly of the Los Angeles Lakers. “Thirty Two Ways To Be A Champion In Business.†On page 9 Magic says this: “You will face your own challenges as you chase your entrepreneurial dreams. Know that as long as you build your business around your passion and make solid business decisions, you can find a way to make it happen. If you believe in what you are doing, others will pick up on it and support you.â€
I closed my last post with a comment about selling myself. That is poor phrasing. I was exhilarated about successfully selling my skill. I LOVED hanging wall paper and poured myself into it. Making wise business decisions doesn’t mean no mistakes are made. Learning always comes at a cost. The very first wall paper job I did on my own, with no one to ask questions of and the buck stopping with me, I violated the most basic tenet for installation of any kind of material. Measure twice, cut once. I measured once and cut the paper short. Usually, such a mistake is only made once. It was embarrassing and I made no profit.
So what was the wise business decision? I admitted my mistake, replaced the paper at my expense, and hung the wall paper correctly. I thought for sure I had just ended my brief career as a self employed individual because of my mistake. For both the person who recommended me and the client I was working for, correcting the mistake and completing the project established my credibility with them that I was indeed a wall paper hanger and not just someone who hung wall paper. The flames of my passion were fanned. I was well on my way to being a legend in my own mind.