We were visiting about seeing things from the top of a hill. It’s a great way to see a problem shaping up or being able to see an opportunity to improve something that is happening or about to happen.

The old story that applies here is about the old bull and the young bull shaded up and out of the flies on a hill. A bunch of heifers graze into the meadow below and the young bull says “Let’s run down and breed a couple of heifers.”  The old bull gets up, stretches and said “Let’s walk down and breed them all.”

I have heard this story a bunch of times, and if you use these kind of stories to set your mind to working they can be real good.

The first thing is that you can see things from the top of the hill, but you can’t do much about it.  You must have the ambition or desire to get to where the action is.

When you see things from the hill that need attention you need to have the tools and the ability to use them.  The story does not work if two steers are up on the hill.

The old bull had experience.  He knew how to approach the situation, had the skills to take care of the situation, and maybe most important had the confidence it takes to know he could do the job.  He gained this confidence by learning from previous mistakes or when he was young he had learned from an old bull.

My grandfather always tried to get me to prepare for opportunities  that were going to show up.  He was always telling me to have some money saved and buy the bargains.  He taught me how to work hard and not be afraid to learn how to do things for myself instead of hiring it done.  He never was much for fancy, but was very strict with being organized.  This way when something needed to be done, we were ready to get it done.

He also had a saying he told me many times, especially when he had been drinking.  “If we can’t get it done, we’ll have her done.”

So it’s great to see things from the top of the hill,  but you must get to where you can do some good.  Be honest about you skills.  If you can’t get it done you better have it done.

There are some pretty smart old bulls in this world.  Learn from them.

~ Curt Pate