Quick quiz: Which of our Founding Fathers, born in 1706 as the 15th of 16 children, had only two years of formal education? Despite this seeming handicap, he spoke five languages, received honorary degrees from five universities, was a scientist, inventor and philosopher. And for 26 years wrote and published an annual periodical under the pseudonym Richard Sanders that sold more copies in the American colonies than the Bible.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, time’s up! And the correct answer is…Benjamin Franklin. The same man who flew a kite in an electrical storm (crazy man!), invented bifocals and the Franklin Stove among many other gadgets. And did you know, he also felt a turkey would have been a much better national symbol than the bald eagle? (Does that mean bald eagles would have been on the menu at Thanksgiving?)
Franklin was probably the most well-known man in the world in the second half of the 18th century, a time when there was no social media, no selfies or cellphones or, gasp, YouTube. His fame in France was so great that upon his death in 1790, the French National Assembly declared three days of mourning, something his own country refused to do.
Because of his love of the written word and the innumerable articles and books he wrote and left behind, his wisdom continues to be relevant 230 years after his passing.
Here are 5 quotes from Benjamin Franklin we can learn from and take to heart:
1. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” – We all have dreams of what we want our lives to be, yet few of us ever really think those dreams will come true. But what if the perfect opportunity presented itself today. Would you be ready?
In our on-demand world, an opportunity can come out of nowhere. If you aren’t prepared and don’t have the tools or knowledge to take advantage of your good fortune, you might not even realize it just passed you by. Don’t let this happen to you. Understand what you need to be ready for your big break so when it comes, you can jump in with both feet.
2. “We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” – Remember as a kid staying out all day with friends and just playing, playing, playing? And in the evenings, we’d come home exhausted, but happy and ready to do it all over again the next day. At some point between childhood and adulthood, we’re taught that playing is something children do. Ever hear the saying: “It’s time to grow up and start adulting.”
Have you ever noticed though that the people who are sometimes called childish seem to be the happiest? Isn’t it time to let that inner child come out and play again? Whether it’s playing outdoors, board games, coloring, a hobby you love, or just clowning around, studies have shown that playing is essential for problem solving, creativity and even relationships. My wife and I are playful together, and it helps make for a happy marriage, too.
Dr. Stuart Brown is a pioneer in play research (who knew that was a job?) and in this TED Talk tells us how important play it is as adults to keep us young at heart. Benjamin Franklin knew over 200 years ago that all work and no play makes us stodgy adults who aren’t much fun to be around.
3. “He that can have patience can have what he will.” – The world today is instantaneous. From news, social media, 24-hour rush service, and same day delivery, we expect things to happen quickly. And when they don’t, we may lose our patience thinking we’re going to miss something.
But patience truly is a virtue and if you have the perseverance to wait for what you want, then good things may come your way. Patience isn’t a guarantee of good fortune, but waiting while continuing to do those things that will move you towards your goal puts you on the road to success.
One of my favorite songs is “It Takes Time” by the The Marshall Tucker Band and encapsulates my thoughts on patience (read my separate blog post on this topic here).
“It takes time to go... Where you want to go
It takes time to be... What you want to be
It takes time to see... What you want to see
Don't get in a hurry... 'cause it takes time.”
For 99.9% of us, we won’t be overnight stars or overnight successes, but with patience and perseverance, we can reach our goals and become the person we always dreamed we’d be.
4. “While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.” – As I write this, the coronavirus pandemic has taken hold of our world and turned it upside down. Just a few weeks ago, you might have been on a roll, living the dream and thinking: “What could go wrong?” Then boom, you’re furloughed or laid off and in the blink of an eye, you’re out of a job.
Things happen in our life we can’t control; however, we can control how we react to these events. We can come up with a myriad of excuses as to why something happened; we can whine, we can lament, and we can play the victim. Or we can take inventory of where we are, what resources we have along with our skills and talents, and then formulate options of what to do next. It may be changing careers or deciding to start your own business. Or it could be waiting for this to pass and enjoying your time off, unpaid though it may be, so you can get those projects done around the house, read, binge on Netflix, start that novel you’ve always wanted to write, or spend time with your family.
It’s O.K. to take a small amount of time to grieve for the life you’ve lost, but grieve too long and it becomes a permanent attitude. Look inside and decide what your new life will look like and take the steps necessary to make that life come true.
Ben Franklin had many setbacks in his life including being beaten regularly by his brother when he apprenticed at his printshop and being considered a traitor at times by both the English and some Americans. But he took it in stride, set his mind on his goals, and stayed the course. Control what’s inside of you so you can respond to those things positively that you can’t control.
5. “He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas.” – Franklin realized the people he spent time with reflected who he was and who he would become. As un-PC as it may sound, if you hang out with losers, or people with bad attitudes, or people who are content to be less than stellar, you will eventually become less than stellar yourself. People will assume you’re of the same ilk as those you spend time with and remember, perception is reality.
Choose your friends and acquaintances carefully and keep company with those who will hold you to a higher standard and see the greatness within you. Tim Sanders, former Yahoo! Executive and bestselling author summed it up when he said, “Your network is your net worth.” Invest your time with people who work together to bring out the best in one another and your time will be well spent.
Despite only two years of schooling, Franklin is considered one of the most, if not the most important person in American history. His genius was in building a network of like-minded people with whom he worked to create businesses, a lending library, a hospital, and a university.
He had simple values, but he was far from being a simple man. He is the only American to have signed The Declaration if Independence, The Treaty of Paris (which ended the Revolutionary War with England) and the U.S. Constitution.
So, the next time you pull out a Franklin, the slang term for a $100-dollar bill on which he is pictured, remember his admonition, “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
After several decades on-the-radio as a DJ and traffic reporter, Steve Woodburn MAS, stumbled, as most do, into the world of promotional products. He spent 27 years on the distributor side and the last three as a supplier, which gives him a unique perspective on this crazy business and life in general.