Using wrong proverbs at the right time

Lots of times as a part of my job, I need to make decisions right on the spot. Think on my feet. Though these are not the kind of decisions that'd change the world or have an earthshattering impact, they're quick decisions nevertheless. And I need to back them up after they're made. Otherwise they'd be just barefaced lies. So in such cases should I think about the proverb, "Think twice before you leap"? I don't know. I did try it once but then people felt that I was dragging my feet.

Another proverb which I constantly find myself at loggerheads is "Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread." Come on! Isn't there something that goes like "Nothing ventured, nothing dared, nothing gained"? So should I go where no man has gone before or be a wise man and keep my feet on dry terra firma? Well, then, the world be a lot less exciting.

So what about "Slow and steady wins the race"? One thing I can always claim for sure in my short life is that I'm steady. And supremely slow. But these are the exact things which made sure that I never won any races. Right from the time when I used to participate in school athletics. I used to get disqualified in the selections itself. Our Physical Training instructor once told me, "son, if you have a choice between running for your life or surrendering, don't even think twice. Just surrender. Will save everyone a lot of time. Which would be approximately 5 seconds. You won't cover a yard before you'll be outpaced." So should I still believe in this proverb?

"Speech is silver, silence is golden." Of course. But not when I'm standing on a podium and a hundred pair of eyes are focussed on me expecting me to speak. Lots of times, I had never been able to score in interviews (in the earlier part of my career days) because I used to lose my voice, and my mind. So I used to end up being mum or just speak gibberish. Neither helped. That's when I decided to opt for the silver club. Its been paying me rich dividends unlike silence. I'm yet to see gold in it.

So where does that leave me? Confused and totally out of focus. I need to re-visit Aesop's fables and see where I stand. Or probably Aesop's fables might have to be re-edited so that dumb crumbs like me don't fall for them. Anybody tried it?

Of course one proverb/saying I'd always swear by is "A picture is worth a thousand words." A thousand unspoken, unthought words. And yes, another one, "Well begun is half done." Heh heh. Since this article was not well begun, its pretty much... done. So till next time..