I was given the book, The Greatest Salesman in the World written by, Og Mandino , when I took on my first management position 4 years ago. My boss said it was one of the greatest books he had ever read, and I have come to reach the same mindset. Over the course of the last 4 years I have read it several times and every time I read it I find some new nugget of wisdom. The story is great and the book is not very long at all. Although an easy read, the treasures you will find are priceless and it has given me much inspiration and fortitude to continue down the road even when it seems there is no one following.
My favorite quote in the book appears when the young salesman is just beginning his journey. He had received a treasure chest filled with scrolls of wisdom which were to help him become the Greatest Salesman in the World. The first scroll he opened has been very influential to me and is a source of comfort when I begin to question my own direction in life. This excerpt is taken from Chapter 8...
"The career I have chosen is laden with opportunity yet it is fraught with heartbreak and despair and the bodies of those who have failed, were they piled one atop another, would cast a shadow down upon all the pyramids of the earth.
Yet I will not fail, as others, for in my hands I now hold the charts which will guide me through perilous waters to shores which only yesterday seemed but a dream...To create the olive, king of all trees, a hundred years is required...Now I wouldst become the greatest of olive trees and, in truth, the greatest of all salesmen.
And how will this be accomplished? For I have neither the knowledge nor the experience to achieve greatness and already I have stumbled in ignorance and fallen into pools of self-pity. The answer is simple. I will commence my journey unencumbered with either the weight of unnecessary knowledge or the handicap of meaningless experience. Nature already has supplied me with knowledge and instinct far greater than any beast in the forest and the value of experience is overrated, usually by old men who nod wisely and speak stupidly.
In truth, experience teaches thoroughly yet her course of instruction devours men's years so the value of her lessons diminishes with the time necessary to acquire her special wisdom. The end finds it wasted on dead men. Furthermore, experience is comparable to fashion; an action that proved successful today will be unworkable and impractical tomorrow."
How true this is. I know I am young and do not have as much experience as other wine writers in this field. I also know that my ideas are controversial and most of the wine world disagrees with a lot of what I say, but I know that I know what I know to be true. My lack of experience is a source of inspiration and the thirst for understanding has led me to see a better way. I do not need a degree or winemaking history of my own to solidify my beliefs. I have tasted it in the wine and I have sought after its wisdom as gold. I have labored to understand as much as possible and believe that I am well on my way to that end. I will never know everything and I will always approach this subject as a humble student, but I have learned an incredible amount thus far and will take that with me as I travel down this path.
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