I’m a horseman, and I own several horses and a small ranch in Southern California.
I love these intelligent animals, and I take pride in learning about myself from one of the best teachers on earth — the horse. You see, the horse is a herd animal, and one that has evolved to thrive in a group social structure. The horse also is an animal that requires leadership, as the highest-ranking mares (and sometimes the stallions) in the herd are the leaders, directing the movement of the group to different grazing areas or water sources. In “natural horsemanship” of the kind I practice, the horseman is tasked with taking the “lead mare” role. In doing so, the horseman must provide the leadership to his/her beloved animals that they require to survive and flourish. This method works well, provided the horseman has the requisite confidence in his/her knowledge and skills, and provided he/she has accepted the responsibility of assuming the lead mare role. Confidence here is perhaps the most important ingredient, but confidence only comes after you’ve done the hard work to acquire the knowledge and skill necessary to assume that confident lead-mare swagger.Think about that for a moment. Have you ever known a confident person that’s always looking down? The answer is almost certainly no, and the reason why is because confident people don’t look down. They look up, and they take on life as the lead mare. That lead mare role is one that I assume not only with my horses, but also with my other hobbies, and particularly my professional role as an investment newsletter writer. In fact, during my more than two decades in the investment advisory industry, I have worked extremely hard to build up the requisite knowledge and skill needed to be the lead mare when it comes to helping investors grow and protect their money. That’s because hard work and concerted, rational effort is at the heart of becoming a Renaissance Man. That’s why you’ll always get the sense from me through my writing and my speaking events, and if you ever meet me in person, that I am the type of man who never looks down when I walk. I’m also the kind of man who relishes the lead mare role. If you want to be a Renaissance Man, then be confident, never look down when you walk… and never be afraid to lead. In the name of the best within us, Jim WoodsAnd regarding that swagger, have you ever noticed that truly confident people nearly always walk with their heads up?
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“All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.”
Today's insight was inspired by the Ancient Chinese military treatise, The Art of War by Sun Tsu.
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