July 9, 2023 | Issue #76

1 Quote. 1 Reflection. 1 Question.

1 Quote.

"But my later experience has taught me two lessons: first, that things are seen plainer after the events have occurred; second, that the most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticised."

 -From: Ulysses S. Grant

-Source: The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant 

1 Reflection.

Many people know Ulysses S. Grant for leading the Union Army to victory in the Civil War. Still, few know that Grant started his military career in the Mexican-American War. This quote is one nugget of wisdom that he extracted from serving in the war just south of our border.  

When problems sprout up in our lives, we often get tangled up in those moments and give more time and energy to them than we need. 

You fought with your partner because you think they didn't care when in reality, they are tired, hungry and just had a long day.

You feel like your boss is out to get you, but it turns out they got into a fender bender on the way to work. 

You think your child is distancing themselves from you but really they just want to play the shit out of the new Nintendo Switch game you bought them. 

In the moment it is easy to complicate things, and a lot of times we are able to think clearer and see the bigger picture once that event is in the rearview mirror. 

Regarding the second half of this quote, the main takeaway is that we should be cautious of giving value to critics who don't have experience in what we are trying to do, or a problem we might be handling. Every sought-after goal or problem has a number of factors, and we know anything worth achieving or fixing takes trial and error. 

There is a reason why top performers want to learn from and talk to other top performers. 

One contributor to Kobe Bryant's success was advice from Michael Jackson while Bryant was starting his NBA career. 

Kobe reflected on a meeting they had on the Neverland Ranch outside Los Olivos, California.

"He told me, 'This is what you love. This is your obsession,'" Bryant recalled "He said, 'I know what it's like to be different. Embrace it.'"

Did Bryant listen to the King of Pop? Well, when Michael Jackson died years later, Bryant had this to say about him,

"Michael Jackson was probably the biggest mentor I've ever had," 

So moral of the story, be sure you listen to the people who have what you want and be skeptical of the people who are all talk. 

Ulysses S. Grant got these lessons from the battlefield, luckily, we don't need to go to battle to apply them. 

1 Question.

What is a problem that you had 6 months ago that makes you laugh today?