Sayings

I have recently been thinking about the sayings that have impacted my life big time. I guess they could be called clichés or truisms.  Whatever they are called, they have meant a lot to me, and I have referenced them in making decisions.
There are many like “never make a decision when you are down” and “interest governs memory” but three spring to mind and have been used as a reference regularly.
“Eat the worms and spit out the germs.”
Someone rightly pointed out to me, they may experience trouble eating worms. I know I would, but to me this means making use of what matters, and discarding what does not.  I think I heard this somewhere as a kid.  I do not know who said it, or why, but I have used it. People say stuff.  In fact, over the years, people say a lot of stuff. We all have an internal filter that sifts everything we hear.  We determine what we want to keep for personal use, and what we don’t.  Everything said, is kept for future conversations, but not everything said, applies to my life.  What does apply, I keep and use.
“It is not how close to danger you can go, but how far away from it you can keep that counts.”
The person who told me this, quoted a story about someone who was hiring a carriage driver.  Out of all the applicants he picked four to do his test.  They were all highly qualified.  They had to complete a circuit and return to the starting point.  Three took off and were sometimes on one wheel.  Whatever obstacle presented itself they negotiated with aplomb. They came back to the starting point.  The other one completed the course in a brisk, but safe way.  That person got the job.  When asked why, the hirer said “It is not how close to danger you can go, but how far away from it you can keep that counts.”
That has meant heaps to me over the years.  In recent times, it has been why complying has been so important to me.  It matters not, that I might consider the law ridiculous.  What matters is that I comply.  I certainly would rather be got by the unexpected, than the expected.  Even if I think I know better, I do not have the power, and can be disqualified in a moment, if I have failed to meet a criteria.
“never assume.”
When I worked for The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) there was a guy there that was brilliant, but obviously had trouble with the drink.  By obviously, he had the large purple pot marked nose to go with it.  I will never forget something he said.  He said “never assume.”  I have used that throughout my life.  People can advise and mean well, but in the end, it is me that will need to defend something.  Unless I have found out something is true for myself, then I am open to well-meaning error, or just error. It is in my interest to find out for myself before I act on it.  If I don’t – I think it is called being left with egg on my face.
These are some of the sayings that have guided my decisions over the years. It sure does not mean every decision has been right, but I have certainly given it my best shot.  Personally, I think that is the best I can do.