Here’s a true story, and it happened to me this weekend. I was at a family reunion with a 90-year-old relative who has hour upon hour of entertaining life stories to tell. Her travels were extensive; the people she had met included some of the world’s most complex political leaders faced with massive challenges and personal attacks. Her stories ranged from what life in America was like 90 years ago, when the candlestick telephone was the latest innovation, to how she now uses email as a communication tool.

It’s so telling to sit down and listen to someone who has all these years of wisdom and watch people gather around just to hear her speak. Our ancestors really had it right when they put the oldest people into positions of leadership and teaching of the younger folks. The challenge is to find someone who’s older who has truly lived a compelling life.

For some reason I have always been drawn to people like this. It seems young people just want to get on with things, but don’t really understand all the ins and outs of how the human race operates; as a result they make more mistakes then necessary. Why is it most young people or people who are doing things for the first time don’t seek wisdom from those who are older or more experienced? Common sense says, if you can find a guide who’s been there before or had a life experience that can help you in some way before you start out on your new adventure, you should seek their counsel.

I enjoy being around older people; they’re not trying to prove something to the world, money is of no real importance, influence is of no real importance – they simply want to share with you, if you’re willing to listen … and their wisdom is wonderful.

Similarly, we don’t have all the answers, but we do have the experience. For over 20 years, inventing is all we’ve done; and when people are willing to listen and trust us, we do everything we can and use all of our experience to help.