Weekly Words of Wisdom

This week's weekly words of wisdom are from my father, R. Ronald Hagen who passed away yesterday afternoon. In so many ways that he will never know, he has inspired me and motivated me and helped me to become what I am. I remember as a boy him telling me “I am like a bumblebee – ‘I’m not smart enough to know it can’t be done.’” He even had artwork produced that had a bumblebee on it with this phrase around it that he kept in his office.

The basis for this phrase is that because, according to all that is known about flight, bumblebees should not be able to fly. Based on the amount of lift that is calculated to be developed by their wings, versus their weight which is holding them down, they should never be able to get off the ground. But despite what the scientists say, the bumblebee still flies. I have thought about this a lot over the course of my life when someone tells me that something can’t be done. In some cases they may be right, but in many cases they are limiting themselves by their attitudes and paradigms.