How many times have you been out and about doing the things that you need to get accomplished and you run into someone you know. They are either a long time friend or acquaintance or you may have just recently met them. They greet you with a big “hello,” accompanied by a big grin or smile. Inevitably they loosely ask you the question: “What Do You Know For Sure”?
What is your answer to the person who asks you such a loaded and powerful question?
Most folks don’t have much of a meaty response as they totally miss the opportunity to learn more and therefore become more than they presently are whenever such a question is asked of them.
Permit me to tell you a truth of life! Evaluated knowledge backed up by a concerted and focused personal effort always produces great power in a person’s life. Said another way and as such supported by the principles of mathematics: Evaluated Knowledge X Action = Power.
Make no mistake about it…Ignorance multiplied by all the power and strength in the world is totally useless. It has no power. No matter how much action or effort you put into the application of ignorance, the results are always the same…it always carries with it nothing very productive!
It just might be wise for you readers to stop at this very moment and take inventory of all the things on which you are presently working and laboring to get accomplished which are not producing any serious results or desired benefits. Apply this simple test so as to determine if you are applying a worthy and intelligent effort or are you wasting time and resources?
God’s simple truths of life will quickly give you the answers you are looking for and intelligently permit you to evaluate your energies, efforts, and usage of your available resources. If it is your personal desire to be productive and resourceful, it will pay you greatly to get to know these truths of life and then apply what they tell you to do.
Let’s discuss the truth of the matter of what it is that you really do know for sure and that which you do not know.
There are four clear states of knowledge and understanding that any human being can and will personally experience:
1. You know something and you know that you know it.
2. You know something, but you don’t know that you know it.
3. You don’t know something, but you don’t know that you don’t know it.
4. You don’t know something, but you know that you don’t know it.
From my personal knowledge and experience, I have come to learn that every one of us in our personal or professional lives will at some point in time live and work in each and every one of these four areas of knowledge.
Since each one of these areas has their own advantages and disadvantages, I feel that it would be very beneficial to you, the reader or listener, to know a little bit about what and how each category effects you.
1. If you know something and know that you know it, you can act
with total confidence and profit from the experience. I would also
caution you not to rest in this knowledge because the state of the art
will always be changing and the rate of change continues daily at ever
increasing speed. If you rest with only your current knowledge, you
may well be left in the dust as technology races forward.
2. All of us from one time or another know something but don’t know
that we know it. The reason this state of knowledge exists is
because we lack proper perspective about the thing we know. Let’s say
you are aware of an asset, say a piece of real estate or a building, and
that you have watched the undeveloped asset for a relatively long
period of time sit lifelessly, underused, or completely unused. Then
suddenly the owner of this asset makes needed improvements, adds
some innovative new amenities and other improvements, and quick
sells the asset for a great and immediate profit. If you will be
completely honest with yourself and look back at the entire situation
you just may realize that, had you thought about it from a different
perspective, you knew–or at least should have known–that this
particular asset was going to greatly increase in value. You simply
didn’t compile the knowledge in such a timely way that you could
recognize the future value of this asset and take appropriate action
concerning it for your own profit and benefit.
3. Those people who don’t know something and they don’t realize
that they don’t know it are really the most dangerous ones on earth.
They are always the people who go through life and fall into every pitfall
and obstacle along the way they are traveling. They are the ones who
think that they know it all, but in reality, they only learn from the
mistakes that their ignorance causes them to make. These folks are
always overconfident and you cannot tell them anything because they
never listen to anyone but themselves. The best you can do for these
type folks is to get out of their way and then just hang around to help
pick them up after the inevitable crash and burn action, yet again,
reoccurs in their lives.
4. The greatest potential and actual achievement is held and performed by
those people who don’t know something and understand that
they don’t know it. This situation is indeed a very powerful concept
in as much as a person has enough wisdom and understanding about
their own life to realize that there is something(s) that they don’t know
and that they really need to know and then they go on to learn what
that something(s) is or could be achieved or accomplished in their own
life. The people who fit into this category have some really great
personal characteristics. These type individuals rarely make major
mistakes. They are always growing and developing mentally and
physically. They are voracious readers and are always
searching for more knowledge and wisdom than they currently possess.
They are good listeners and learners. The world doesn’t belong to
them…yet, but it probably will someday in the future!
Remember the mathematical formula I mentioned above, evaluated knowledge x action = power. When all factors of the formula are correctly achieved the formula always balances! In other words, if you want the “Power” to be on your side, then first make sure you have and possess the correct and sufficient knowledge and understanding to produce your desired power and that you have indeed backed up that understanding with completely sufficient action and effort.
As you go through your day today, act on the things you know and build on the things you don’t know.
Peace and Love to All of You…………………Poppa Bear