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Try something new

Last week, I attended my first auction with my daughter, Kate.  We started the day at the address listed in the paper.  No one was there.  We drove to the auction house.  No one was there.  We called the number on the sign at the auction house.  Disconnected.  We called the auctioneer's number listed in the paper.  No answer.  We called the second number.  He answered!  The auction had been moved to an old store front across town due to the forecast of rain.  Once we finally found it (after a couple wrong turns), we signed up for a number to bid.  The next step was to observe the process.  This was not like the civilized auctions you see on television.  This appeared to be a free-for-all where you followed the auctioneer, placed bids where you had your choice of several items and you could choose multiples!  We were confused for quite some time.  And there were several items that I would have liked that went for crazy prices.  After we thought we had the hang of things, we decided to bid on a few small items.  OK.  Now we can do this!  All in all, we won the bid for several items, including a beautiful mahogany dining set with 6 perfect chairs for only $25!  We were hooked!
So why do I tell this story?  Is it to show off the tremendous deal we got on a dining room set?  Maybe a little.  But there are a few take aways:
1) Try something new. If we didn't enjoy the auction, we were only out 1/2 tank of gas and a few hours.
2) You don't always reach your destination on the first shot.  Sometimes your goal changes.  Sometimes your cheese is moved by someone else.
3) You can turn around and go home, if you choose.  But since you're close, you might as well give it one more try.  Make one more call.  What do you have to lose?
4) It's okay to check things out before you jump in.  But don't wait too long.  You may miss out on some great deals.
5) Bring a friend.  You can lean on each other if things go poorly.  You can find the fun in spending time together.
6) Experiencing success gets you hooked.  Are you giving yourself the opportunity to do well?  Are you setting others up to experience success?  Are you helping them to continue to be successful?
What will you try this week?

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