Carts and Horses – Horses and Carts
I wrote a newsletter a while back about “Who says the horse can’t push the cart?” There are times in our lives when things fall off track, don’t go the way we wanted or the PLAN changes. Then you have to NALP but that is another newsletter.
I sent this letter to a very special young man who is in Attica Prison…and should not be. His name is Colin Rideout. My wife and I discussed that newsletter at length with him on one of our regular visits. He is a great listener, a skill many people have not mastered. And, as I remind you of that great philosopher Yogi Berra…”You can hear a lot just by listening.” IKR
He recently sent this picture to us on a card. He works in the law library and has accepted that while he is not where he should be, he has to make the best of a very bad situation. He has to make a difference where he is. He has to accept what he cannot change (for now). He has to know what is in his control and what is not. One of the things he does is helps the other inmates with their appeal process. Recently he helped an inmate who said I have nothing to repay you with for your help but I am an artist and I can draw whatever you want. The picture is what Colin asked him to draw. On the inside of the card to us he wrote “Who says a Horse can’t push a cart?” He also wrote “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are right now.” This mirrors The three success secrets of Shamgar, “Start where you are, Use what you have and Do what you can”.
There are lessons in the picture for your work and personal life. If things get off track do what you can to get things up and running again. Is it easy, not often. But it can be done if you put things in the right place before you move on and that may mean “The Horse Has to push the Cart”.