Why Do I Have All the Answers?

Hi. First of all, I want to laugh at the audacity of that thought: that I have all the answers. I'm learning. Everyday. Just like you.

But seriously, many of you have commented that I'm so smart or so quick with an answer or that I know what to say.

Thank you for saying that. It's completely due to two things I've learned along the way.

Look it up

When I would do my homework when I was little, I used to ask my mom how to spell words. Her response was always the same, "Look it up." I remember asking her how I could possibly look it up if I didn't know how it was spelled, but she would just smile and say, "Look it up."

She was teaching me to be independent. As a result, I'm pretty self-sufficient. I don't often need to ask people how to do things, where to find things, or what things mean. If I don't know, I look it up. Google is a great source, but I use dictionaries, thesauruses, online encyclopedias, books I've read and, get ready for it, the PartyLite Consultant Guide, almost everyday. Seriously.

Just Do It

What a simple concept, but you've heard it since you were little. Practice makes perfect. The Beatles weren't born great musicians. Bill Gates wasn't born a computer wiz. Jamie Oliver doesn't have magical cooking capabilities. Wendy Lloyd Curley was not born knowing how to conduct the perfect PartyLite show. (I do like the idea of being compared to the Beatles, Bill Gates, and Jamie Oliver, however, and since it's my blog, I will do just that.) :)

This Nike tag line is so valid. Just do it!

The Moral

I often say that I "make it up." That's not really true. I just do it. I just push through and learn from my mistakes and look up the answers when I don't know them. My confidence increases after every experience - even if those experiences weren't perfect.

There's no such thing as the perfect gig for the Beatles. There's no such thing as the perfect code for Microsoft (how many patches can there be?). Jamie adds and dilutes and tastes his way until his concoctions are tasty. For me, there's never a perfect show, just a great practice session for the next one.

This article was inspired by a quote I just read from a site I subscribe to: "Great managers insist that their employees “Think”, and instead of giving them an answer, they give them the tools to find many answers."

You aren't my employees. I'm not your manager. But the tools are all here.

So get out there! Look it up. Just do it!