Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Funeral Industry News September 2, 2009
CDFuneralNews

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Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

imageIn my lifetime I have found inspiration in many hidden corners. I have known people who have guided me on the path of life and allowed me to avoid the pitfalls that they encountered on their own journey of days.

For me, ?Standing on the Shoulders of Giants? has a far deeper meaning that just the UK group, Oasis? hit album. For me that phrase speaks of every author, technician, parent, teacher and mentor I have ever known. But let me ask you this … Are you a ‘Giant’ to someone in your world?

Don?t be afraid to ask yourself that question. Don?t think of the times you may have let someone down; rather, think of the times you gave good advice that became useful in their own ?toolbox? for life. Better yet, ask yourself if you have ever enabled another person to see further than the next hilltop. If you have, then you have let someone ?Stand on the Shoulders? of your experience to see even further into the future than you ever hoped to.

Authors are the most obvious ?Giants? I can think of. Reading a good book has the power to take me to places of inspiration and imagination and allows me to dream possibilities for my own life. Answers to questions have flowed effortlessly for me after a good read. If you give it some thought, I am sure you too will find a time when you have had a ?Eureka? moment after reading a good book.

In my own life, I am constantly thankful for ?shoulder support?. In technical matters I am not the brightest light in the string but I have learned about things that I assumed would remain mysteries for me. I have learned the ?ins and outs? of the computer world … cutting and pasting, Webinars, downloading and blogging and … just so many things … remember that I was not raised in an era that even considered that anyone less than an ?Expert? would ever navigate a computer. And look at me now!

I want to speak of a ?Giant? who has allowed me stand on his shoulders in order to see into the future of my chosen profession. I speak of Ryan Thogmartin. (I am well aware of his humble nature and fully expect him to ask permission to ?edit? this blog, but … permission denied.) As the passionate visionary and founder of this site, he has helped me master things that were truly mysteries just a year ago. I have watched him create, stumble, improve and innovate his way to the top of a market with a product that didn?t exist. He dragged many of us along on his journey and we watched and learned as he did the same. We sat in our comfort zones as he hung it all out there and followed his dream.

He has allowed all of us to ?Stand on his Shoulders? and has encouraged us to stretch ourselves around concepts and ideas that were previously foreign. As for me, my hat is off to you Ryan. I applaud you for getting all of us to this point and I can`t wait to see what you have in store for us in the coming years.

One thing I do know is this: We have grown because of you. Hopefully you will accept the opportunity to stand on our shoulders now. By doing so, you will allow this membership to be part of the growth of ConnectingDirectors.com. Together we can be `Giants` to one another.