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Smarter Than the Average Berra

Written by: Kathryne Pusch

Article Overview: We are caught in difficult situations each day, at work, at home, in various social and business environments. What to do? Keep thinking. Keep thinking creatively until you come up with some viable solutions. Do not give up. Persevere. As Yogi Berra put it, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

Smarter Than the Average Berra

Ok, maybe you are like me: not an avid sports fan. . . but I have to admire Yogi—both the Yellowstone Cartoon Bear of my early childhood, and Yogi Berra, the Yankees catcher and manager for both the Yankees and the Mets. Yogi Bear reminds me of just how well one can survive using creativity, spontaneity, wits, guts and charm. He liked to boast, he was “smarter than the average bear.” Maybe he wasn’t all that smart on an IQ scale, but Yogi knew how to keep thinking, adapt and respond in a positive way to whatever nature threw at him. Yogi Berra intrigues me because of the quirky wisdom of his “Yogi-isms.” Sometimes seen as slips-of-the-tongue, his words may make us chuckle, but they reflect honest truths about life.

How often have you been in a situation where the proverbial Park Ranger and unhappy Camping Family are both closing in due to a matter of a Missing Picnic Basket? Use your imagination here! We are caught in difficult situations each day, at work, at home, in various social and business environments. What to do? Keep thinking. Keep thinking creatively until you come up with some viable solutions. Do not give up. Persevere. As Yogi Berra put it, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” Next time you feel cornered or discouraged by the people and problems you are dealing with, tell yourself that YOU are “smarter than the average bear,” and just try again. Beware complacency: Do not assume that the deal is done until it actually IS done. Stick with it until it is really done and you will increase your chances of success, both near term and long term.

Yogi Berra said of those who tutored him, “He’s learning me all his experience.” He never told me this himself, but I’ll bet that “Boo Bear,” Yogi Bear’s sidekick, thought the same thing. He got to hang out with Yogi every day! What about YOU? If you are not using all of the professional association, network, and continuing education resources available to you, you are missing out on major opportunities to learn from the experience of other successful people in your field. No matter how spectacular you are, you can always learn something new, or a smarter way to handle some old recurring problem.

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi Berra meant that we are all constantly faced with decisions in life, big and little. You cannot be afraid to make a decision, and you cannot second-guess yourself after making a choice. You have to do what feels right, based on what you have learned from previous decisions, life and work experience, your education and training, your intuition, and the counsel of those you trust. Too many people lose out on opportunities to grow, to succeed, to challenge themselves, because they are paralyzed into indecision by the fear of the worst case repercussions of a “wrong choice,” fear of failing or of being criticized. Yogi Bear never met an unattended picnic basket that he wouldn’t “go for.” How could he know if the basket held that prized pie if he didn’t take the chance? Do not be afraid to reach out and step up the ladder of success in life. Get involved. Make commitments. The very worst that can happen is that you will learn from the experience and increase your chances of taking the ”right fork” the next time. Take it from Yogi-- Berra or The Bear.


*Yogi Berra quotes from “When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!”, co-authored by Yogi Berra & David Kaplan (Hyperion)

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Article Tags: business broker Atlanta, etics in business, persistence in business, professional development



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