Think Like Lincoln

One day, one of President Lincoln’s generals approached him with an idea. Hoping to impress the President, the general went into an elaborate exhortation on a strategy of taking a Union Army deep into the South. This would be to kin of walking into the enemies house in broad daylight with everyone at home. It is possible, but probably not wise. 
Lincoln thought about it for a moment, stroking his beard and then looked up at his general and said, “That reminds me of a cooper (one who repairs barrels) out my way, new at the trade and much annoyed by the head of the barrel falling in as he was hoping in the staves around it. But the bright idea occurred to him to put his boy in to hole up the cover. Only when the job was completed by this inner support, the new problem arose: how to get the boy out?”

Then Lincoln turned and looked into the eyes of the waiting general and said, “Your plan is feasible, sir. But how do you get the boy out?”

Isn’t that the way we are? Speaking for myself, I know I can be just like that general. I sometimes will jump right into a project full of enthusiasm…before I truly think about the consequences. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.

By Mark Bowser, Author of “Unlocking the Champion Within.” —-

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