Happy 2-Year Anniversary! Top Three Lessons From Junior Year

Insight 97 | Wednesdays of Wisdom is officially 2 years old. 🥹 CHEERS! 🥂

First, thank you to the Lord, who has helped us grow together and has been a constant rock. Secondly, thank you to all the readers who have loved, supported, and shared this newsletter, which has greatly contributed to its growth. God bless each one of you!

As Junior Year comes to a close, here is a reflection on the biggest takeaways from this latest semester.

1. Short N’ Sweet: The Power Of The Tongue

2. Get The Right People (And Tools) On The Bus THEN Figure Out Where It’s Going

3. Vitamin N: Go For No

Let’s get into it.

1. Short N’ Sweet: The Power Of The Tongue. I'm not sure when I first heard it, but over the past semester, I've fallen deeper in love with this quote, often attributed to Mark Twain*, the great American novelist and essayist, that says: “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.”

At first, it comes off as a bit counterintuitive. Why not just write a shorter letter to begin with? Say less and move on, correct? But that's not the wisdom here. What the phrase is getting at is something else instead: the idea that many times it's actually easier to ramble, to overpopulate the page with words that have little meaning, in an attempt to signal that we know what we are talking about. But as Coco Chanel taught us, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” This applies to language as well.

Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” When we master our communication skills, we unlock a tremendous tool perfect for any and all occasions. A tactical asset we can leverage to our advantage, from the professional sphere to our personal development and the growth of our relationships.

As a result of this meditation, I have been actively working to improve my speaking abilities and recording a talk a day on Instagram to document the process. If you're interested in seeing the growth, follow along here. I'm working on keeping it “Short N’ Sweet.” ;)

2. Get The Right People (And Tools) On The Bus FIRST, and THEN Figure Out Where It’s Going. I strongly believe we must all be constantly striving to learn, and one of the best and most timeless ways to do so is through books. This one in particular, Good To Great, was recommended to me many times before, but it wasn't until this semester that I decided to give it a go. And while there are many lessons within that I have gone on to apply, it's this one that stuck with me the most.

All the companies that outperformed the market for years on end, while also beating out others in their industry, shared one idea in common: They got the wrong people off their “bus” (teams) and the right people on it. They understood that people aren't your best asset; the right ones are! It didn't matter how lost they may have felt; filling the room with the proper minds provided the fuel and atmosphere they needed to figure it out. The destination will reveal itself.

The more I considered this principle, the more applications I saw for it. Not only does this apply to getting the right people on your team, but also the right tools. In an ever-evolving AI era, it is essential to stay up to date, always learning. In recent months, I have pushed myself to engage with these systems and how to properly integrate them into my life as we look to a future that is entirely interlaced with the digital.

This said, it still takes people to understand how to leverage it all. Which means it's about getting both the right people and the right tools in your corner.

3. Vitamin N: Go For No. This concept, too, comes from a book, arguably the best 80-page read I've ever gotten from any business text. It took me less than a day, but I walked away with a lifetime of value. Go For No explains a success metric I have long suspected to be true but had never heard framed in this way: Failing IS the way to success.

No is on the way to yes! We accidentally confuse failure with being a failure, and that could not be further from the truth. Many, if not all, of the world’s most admired experts, leaders, and winners were well acquainted with rejection, loss, and the word “No.” How did they leverage this? They started knocking on as many doors as they could.

Instead of settling for a few good opportunities, they learned to push for the “no.” They increased their intake of Vitamin “N.” They asked, kept going, learned along the way, and, as a result, ended up digging in places no one else had considered, striking gold.

Often, the only thing keeping us from the dream God has for us is our own limiting beliefs. What's the worst that could happen? They say no? You never know if you never ask.

—

The month of May might seem like an odd time for a reflection, but that's precisely why it can be so rewarding. I pray today's article is a prompt for you to reflect on how these first five months have been for you, the reader. Have you made headway on your goals? Tried that new hobby? Implemented that new routine? There is nothing stopping you.

Give these three lessons a go in your own life, and I am sure you will see tangible results in a matter of days from the mindset shift alone they bring.

Work to keep it Short N’ Sweet. Wield the power of the tongue wisely. While you're at it, surround yourself with the proper company and equip yourself with the correct tools. Don’t worry when first starting out about where exactly you're going; the path always reveals itself once you start taking the first few steps. And if you really want to make a change, start going for “No,” and you will be pleasantly surprised by how many doors open up when you start knocking on more of them.

I leave you with a verse my family and I have long found comfort in: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9. Cheers.

-  Making The Most Of Being Curious

Daniel J. Cuesta

P.S. If you enjoyed today's article, you will find Lessons from Freshman and Sophomore Years a nostalgic treat.

* Many others have been connected to the quote in the past, such as Blaise Pascal, John Locke, Benjamin Franklin, Henry David Thoreau, Cicero, and Woodrow Wilson. Regardless, the idea remains the same: it takes time and intentionality to hone the craft of communicating your message while still keeping it “Short N’ Sweet.”

Sources:

Short N’ Sweet: The Power Of The Tongue: Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. - James 3:5

Get The Right People (And Tools) On The Bus FIRST, and THEN Figure Out Where It’s

Going: Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. - Proverbs 13:20

Go For No: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. - Matthew 7:7

Quote Origin (If I Had More Time, I Would Have Written a Shorter Letter): Link