Inspiration Room
Here is your Tuesday STORY on: SELF DEVELOPMENT: Why do people ask advice? A good answer would be because they are unsure of the answer themselves. Why do people ask advice and then seemingly ignore it? Your answer on this occasion may have been exactly what they needed to hear, but for some reason they do not act upon it. This could lead to your own frustration and a promise that you will not offer advice to that person again. Whilst most people would recognise that as a fair and reasonable response, others would realise that the questioner is crying out for help, but on this occasion you are not the person with the right AUTHORITY to give the answer. I personally studied 'Law' as part of a public administration course, which can help in resolving some questions, but, and I would be the first to admit it, I am often not the person with authority in this subject. If I suggested a possible solution to a legal problem, few would accept my observations; yet however their value would mirror that of a proper legal representative. It is human nature that we get answers from the correct source. In my youth I was able to strip a car engine down and repair and restore to its original condition. Yet if I suggested to a colleague that their engine needed a de-coke, they would politely accept my comments but approach a mechanic for a proper answer. The suggestion here then is that; when you are all exhausted from trying to offer advice but getting nowhere, direct the individual concerned to the person with authority. THE RIGHT AUTHORITY In my philosophical youth, I was trying to impress my 'in-laws' (my wife's parents), more specifically my mother-in-law. She was searching, as they do, for my position/political stance on a certain topic. Incidentally she is the deputy head of a local school for 12 - 16 year olds. I sat back and said I couldn't answer without all the facts. Nothing too strange there, but I sensed a need to speak out with some 'personal philosophy'. Perhaps a little too early in the day to be received with anticipation, my 'mother-in-law' sat back with a certain degree of apprehension. I suggested that people are better making important decisions in a good/happy state of mind. If a decision is demanded at a moment you are stressed out, then you need to take a moment to clam down. Even to the point of meditating for five minutes. My mother-in-law was sceptical. Precisely two weeks later (Sunday morning), my mother-in-law was reading her favourite Sunday morning newspaper. Guess what! A journalist had researched an article on meditation and how to calm our busy minds down. There was the 'authority', the same comment from 'my' humble lips meant nothing, now that the same instruction was in print, my mother-in-law was prepared to consider its values!!! QUOTE: 'Convincing the doubter without substantiation from an AUTHORITY is like feeding a toddler a dishful of soup using a fork. Change the fork to a spoon.' (Phil Booker)
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