I cannot change the winds...

It has been (once again) a very long time since I have bothered sitting down and penning my thoughts.  But, a thought struck me and I felt that I should at least get it out into some medium before it left me.  Here is what has been going on.

Recently, I took a position as a car salesman.  Admittedly, this was far from the career path that I had in mind, but it has been educational.  I've learned many lessons that I never thought I would learn from a car lot and some that I could learn nowhere else.  From the mundane and trivial to the essential.

Some of the things I have learned, as stated before, are not of too great value.  I can back into almost any parking space.  I can differentiate a Camry from a Corolla by sight almost effortlessly.

Some things have some small value to them, but only at certain times.  Those times being, when you are shopping for a car.  I can tell you the engine size of most of Toyota's models, along with horsepower, torque, and towing capacity.  I can explain the benefits of a VVT-i transmission.  I can elaborate on the Hybrid versus a regular gas engine.

Other things carry much greater weight even beyond the car lot.  I have learned how important it can be to maintain a good credit history.  I have learned that identity theft is still a very real thing and have seen it dash someone to pieces.  I have seen how practical a good understanding of basic math can save a person, in some instances, thousands of dollars.  My understanding of interest and money factors have expanded far beyond what I thought I had gained from my classes in school.

I have learned about treachery, but not from the source I expected.  I have watched people, who most would consider to be "good" people, lie, back-stab, and undercut others over dollars and cents.  I have seen far too many promises go unhonored.  I have seen friends cheat each other.  Surprisingly, I have seen this happen far more often at the hands of customers, than salespeople.  All in the name of "getting a good deal."

I have learned about honesty, integrity and respect.  Their value cannot be overstated.  I have watched as people have tossed these aside to save a few dollars, or to earn a few more.

I have learned about communication.  It is astounding how quickly a relationship can shatter because of some small information that goes unsaid, but is assumed to be understood.

However, there is one thing that surprised me to discover in a Toyota dealership.  The importance of attitude.  I have watched salespeople who have been successful, crumble from exhaustion and burnout.  I have seen the opposite, as well.  I have seen people who struggled and stretched everyday just to gain a mastery of product knowledge become great salespeople because every time they saw a new person walking onto the lot, they saw a car buyer.

Though I cannot change the winds that blast me, I can move my sails.  Though I cannot stop the waves that thrash me, I stand at the helm.  Though the sea may rage all around me and toss me to and fro, only I steer the ship. And I am unsinkable.