Saturday, September 26, 2009

Reminded of a lesson learned......in Mussoorie!


I know that I am not alone…….
Have you ever……ever…..asked someone their opinion about something…….and then made a decision, based on their answer…….. modified your plans, changed your mind or not follow through on something?
It could been about a book……that you decided not to read…….a movie you decided not to see…….or a city that you chose not to visit…….or a food item you chose not to eat.
We have all done this…….please tell me that I am not alone!!!!!!
I am not saying that opinions or advice from others,….even the most credible of sources…….people we seek the information from that we consider “experts” on the subject at hand………or someone that we share many of the same “likes and dislikes”, is bad or that it shouldn’t be taken. There have been many times that I was happy to “heed” their advice or opinion………

However, have you ever….picked up that book at a later time……..seen that movie…….or tasted that food item……only to form a different opinion…….or discover something completely different by experiencing it for yourself?

We have all experienced this too……..haven’t we…….we have all felt at one time or another that we should not have listened to an opinion………should have done something sooner………had no idea what I have we have missed out on for some many years……and thought afterwards that we “learned our lesson” to not listen to such rubbish again or make the same mistake twice….so many missed opportunities…..so many…….countless……..I cannot even begin to fathom……
Mussoorie, India……..almost became a statistic on that long list of countless missed opportunities for me. I had formed an opinion about Mussoorie, based on an opinion that I received from someone I considered to be knowledgeable about the area….an “expert”…….someone who lives nearby, someone who has visited the area on many occasions……..the advice…….”you can see Mussoorie in a day…….not much to do there……”
Mussoorie, India……..not the most “popular” hill station destination in India……..or the most “famous”…..
Mussoorie, India…….you are nothing close to what was described to me……..much more than the picture that was painted in my mind based on the opinion of another.
After visiting once……spending only five hours, enjoying what you had to offer…….I quickly changed my opinion.
Mussoorie, India……..I hope to spend some very memorable times with you.

Think for yourself......experience everything you can.....and always make sure that you choose your words carefully and not try and discourage others from doing something that you may not have liked....

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great reminder ... exaggerated in situations of expats, yea?

I will keep this in mind, as I too am guilty of wrinkling up my nose when asked about a place, location, market, etc.

I also have experienced the opposite, where I went on the advice of someone trusted, and later realized that their perspective rendered them unable to enjoy something that I ended up loving!

Great post, L!

Unknown said...

Yes, I took investment advise twice( in 2001 and just last year, 2008), and lived to regret on both occasions !!!

Lloyd said...

Mani,

I am terribly sorry to hear of your misfortune (no pun intended). It is amazing to me how we sometimes blindly accept the advice of others....even a second time, after we have claimed to learn a lesson from the first bad experience.....come to think of it, had I not done my own research about living and working in India, and would have only listened to those who were saying things so far from what life is truely like here, I probably wouldn't be here today.....blogging about this Incredible Country and sharing my experiences. Thanks for reading and thanks for posting a comment.....