I tried to find the origin of the saying “too soon old – too late smart.” Some think it is an older German saying. Others an old Swedish saying.
Regardless of origin, it is a very true statement. MK and I experience this every day.
As I approach 70, I look back on life and see my hundreds of mistakes over the years. I’d like to say it was because of my youth and exuberance. This is partially true.
The other part was my need for a mentor I could trust in and let them guide me through the paths and decisions of life. That sounds much nicer than simply saying, “I was an idiot”!
Easy now to look back and realize how I could have been a better man. A better Christian. A better husband. A better father. A better employee. A better money manager. A better mentor.
Fortunately, by the grace of God, I’m still alive and can choose to not make the same mistakes again.
Which brings me to mentors. I think they are so important. And I believe that one mentor isn’t enough. I don’t know of anyone qualified to give advice on all the areas of life.
I put this notion to work with franchisees before I retired. I identified the owners in the network who excelled at a particular area of business: hiring, retaining employees, offering the best benefit programs, providing service, training, etc. They made their expertise available to other owners who asked - and the wise ones did.
Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” It reminds of another quote, this one from W. Clement Stone who said, “You are a product of your environment. So, choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective.”
When MK and I moved to Waco we realized how true this was. I attended an early morning men’s group at our church for years. It was interesting how that impacted me in my search of being a better Christian. We spent a lot of time with fellow executives from Neighborly, where the culture was based on a code of values.
Consider your circle of friends. How much do they impact your faith? Your work ethic? Your ability to be a good spouse, parent, or friend?
If you own a business, who is helping you become more successful? A better leader? An employer of choice? Is your faith what you want it to be? What if you are diagnosed with something and have only months to live? How would you handle this news?
Too soon old. Too late smart. Take it from some who finally gets it. Life is about the choices we make. Regardless of our age! It is up to each of us to craft a life to be the person we want to become.
