Keep your energy dry.

 

In times gone by, before they had pre-made bullets - military people, hunters, and other folks who used guns had to make their own bullets.

 

Every time I think of this it reminds me of the story about Lord Nelson…Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson…the fellow who defeated Napoleon’s navy in 1805 at Trafalgar.

 

The first role in Nelson’s naval career was coxswain on HMS Carcass. The ship, under Commander Lutwidge, was part of an expedition seeking the fabled NorthWest Passage [to India]. During the trip toward the North Pole the ship landed in [I believe it was] Iceland. The year would have been 1771, maybe 1772. Horatio Nelson was about 13 years old. While on shore young Horatio came face to face with a polar bear. He took aim with his gun and fired. At least, he tried to fire his gun. The gun failed to fire. His gunpowder just flashed in the pan. That means it fizzled and did not result in a fired shot.

 

Obviously, Nelson lived to fight another day…Nelson became England`s most-famous Naval leader.

 

I am sure Nelson learned a big lesson that day. I am sure that lesson caused him to take extra care to ensure his firearms were always ready for use. Probably part of the lesson was - keep your powder dry. Maybe damp powder caused his near-fatal flash in the pan?

 

Regardless, there is an important message here.

 

From time to time, we can think of old muskets and how people who owned old guns knew they had to keep their powder dry. Their gunpowder provided the energy they needed to take their shots. They had to keep their energy dry.

 

Similarly, you need to keep your ‘energy dry’…so your energy is ready to perform when it is time for you to make your shots…your best business shots.

 

If you are a low-energy person then this makes immediate sense. If you are a low-energy person then you cannot afford to waste any energy. So, you must use your energy wisely to get the highest results possible. You know you have a ‘limited amount of gunpowder in your pouch’…so you want to keep it dry and you want to conserve it.

 

If you are a high-energy person it still makes sense to keep your energy dry…and there is an additional reason. ‘High-energy’ needs to be handled with care because ‘high-energy’ can burn other people and it can burn out its owner. “Muskets can only handle so much powder.”

 

One of my Leadership heroes…Lord Nelson