Every now and then I revisit the Gray Wolf posts to update them.
Most of the time, I don't post anything about it. But if you're interested, just read through them again—they’ll hit you differently each time, whether they've been updated or not.
This morning, I circled back to the introduction. I haven't made the changes yet because I feel like there's more to it, and why it was posted below.
But I thought you might find it interesting—and helpful.
From the Gray Wolf Introduction:
This chapter is about abundance, and how little stress can lead to becoming soft. Good times make weak people, weak people make bad times, bad times make strong people, strong people make good times.
Realizations/Additions:
The Wise Mountain Man
A generation is 20 years. So if we take this cycle:
Good times make weak people
Weak people make bad times
Bad times make strong people
Strong people make good times
It takes 60 years for someone to experience a full cycle.
Now, here's why that’s interesting to me:
Dr. Jeff Spencer has shared with me many times that someone cannot truly become a cornerman until they are at least 60 years old—or, as he puts it, “they’ve taken 60 trips around the sun.” His reasoning is simple: a person cannot truly see around corners and understand the extremes of humanity until they’ve lived through those extremes themselves. For some reason, 60 years is the marker he’s observed for when someone can truly get it.
A couple of months ago, Grandmaster Mike came out to dinner and shared why 2024, being the year of the Wood Dragon, is significant. The last Wood Dragon year? 1964. 60 years ago. You can find more about what he says in his deep dive about the Wood Yang Dragon here.
What’s Concerning to Me:
A lot of young, highly motivated, incredibly driven people are surrounding themselves with people like them—young, ambitious, and highly motivated. They’re in total Black Wolf mode—which might be perfectly appropriate for where they are right now.
BUT...
I believe it’s wise to keep some cornermen around. Don’t discount the people around you who are over 60. They might not be able to turn on their iPad or use a computer as easily as you can, but they have something far more valuable: experience.
Disregarding their wisdom because you think it’s irrelevant or “outdated” can be a fatal mistake.
And don’t discount Grandma. She probably has more wisdom than you think.
A Final Thought
Every time you think someone older than you "just doesn’t get it," remember: it’s likely your experience that is lacking, not theirs. You don’t have to agree with everything they say, but don’t be so quick to assume that their understanding is flawed. In fact, remember how often mom and dad were wrong—until you lived through it yourself and realized they weren’t so wrong after all.