“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” (Proverbs 23:9)
I have talked with people who were not finding success in their entrepreneurial ventures. On more than one occasion I have had some of these people complain about some aspect of their lives, but then when I try to discuss it with them they say something to the effect of, “I know you have advice, but my problem is too much.” They would rather whine and complain about their supposed problems, which are really nothing more than opportunities they are ignoring.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)
One of the things over the years that has caused people to wonder what I was doing is the hiring of mentors and wise counselors in my businesses. Many cannot understand why I would hire people who may not even be as successful as I am. In their minds when you have obtained any level of success you are a better person than those who have achieved less success and cannot learn anything from them. This is also a reason why they have not obtained success in any measure in their own right.
One of the most important things you can do is be constantly improving yourself each day. All the money, businesses, and wealth can disappear, but the person you have become can not be taken from you. Even among newbies there are things you could learn from them. This is one of the reasons I read hundreds of books a year. Even if the author is less successful than I am, I always learn something or am reminded of something I have long since put in the back of my memory. If we get to the point of presuming we have everything figured out we will be like the fool who despises wisdom and instruction.
