Everyone around me was in a panic as they searched for a missing provision to a document we needed for a work transaction.
Several people explained that they’d searched and could not find this mystery language anywhere.
I was inclined to believe they were right – allowing a slight panic to creep in as I walked over to my colleague to explain the barrage of emails and calls rushing in at once.
She calmly and matter of factly reminded me to look at the files for myself, suggesting numerous places I might be able to find what I needed.
I sat down at my desk feeling a bit silly that I’d gotten worked up without ever taking the time to comb through the documents.
It took awhile, but eventually I screamed over to her that I’d found it. I sighed a sigh of relief, glad that I’d read the documents for myself.
From this experience, I learned a valuable lesson: be determined to “read it” for yourself – whatever that “it” may be.
In life it’s easy to get worked up by the accounts of others. We hear their version of things and immediately panic about the what if’s. Soon fear seeps in and we’ve totally disregarded our plans because of someone else’s report.
When we do our due diligence and try things for ourselves, we gain first handle knowledge.
Whether they’re correct or incorrect, we assert our right to see for ourselves – making ourselves privy to the possibility of a different outcome.