“CANDLES -- Next Left "

On a narrow road on Valentia Island, near Portmagee Ireland, nailed to post is a simple, hand made sign that reads “CANDLES – Next Left”. That’s all the sign says. It intrigues us. It draws us. We turn left, seeking a store that offers candles.

We follow the road. It narrows more. There are a few farmhouses with sheep grazing nearby. The houses thin out and we begin to wonder if we took the wrong road. There are no signs of a candle shop.

I think that we’ll find a dead end. I’m sure the sign is outdated. The more we drive the more convinced I am that this is a useless trip and that we’ll get stuck in a mud hole and the nearest tow truck is hours away!

It’s more desolate now and the road is ending. We see an old rundown house. There are piles of peat near the house, a car nearby, and other artifacts that suggest it’s abandoned. There is no sign that suggests that this is the candle shop. Maybe we did take the wrong road!

Then we see a huge pile of old colored wax. Could this be the candle shop after all? We leave the car and begin to explore. I find a door and enter ready to offer an explanation and an apology for trespassing. Inside is a candle shop and factory.

The shop is not what I expected to find. On three walls are shelves with candles of various sizes, shape, colors, and fragrances. Behind a counter on the rear wall, near a computer stands a man making candles. He greets us with a thick Irish accent.

We spend about an hour talking to him about his business. Through the internet and a fast delivery service, he sells his candles through out the world. It’s not just a local crafts shop, it’s an international business.

As I leave the shop, I feel that something is wrong. Soon I realize that it’s my assumptions. Every assumption I made was wrong! I assumed this would be a cute little shop with a variety of Irish crafts for the American tourists. I assumed there would be more signs pointing the way. I assumed there would be parking. When I didn’t see them, I assumed we were on the wrong road.

Now that might not bother most people, but I make my living by helping people learn to think differently. And that means suspending judgment and not making assumptions. Both are hard habits to break, for me too.

But it’s what we do. So here are a few thoughts to help you when you think you may be on the wrong road.

The world is not what it used to be. It is amazing to see this small shop in this isolated area operating as an international business. I realize that my own international business fits nicely into my laptop and cell phone. My “office” is anywhere that I can get on line. Ask yourself, “What‘s changed in my world that I have dismissed as unimportant?”

New ideas need nurturing. I would have missed an enjoyable experience if I had turned around when the road narrowed. New things need time and patience. They may look weird or unusual at first. Don’t abandon them too soon. Too many of us quit just before the success. Ask yourself, “What am I thinking about abandoning that may need more patience?”

Outward appearances are deceiving. We make judgments on what we think we see. We want things, ideas, and people to be what we expect and often they are not. We miss many opportunities when we judge the outward appearances. Ask yourself, “What assumptions am I making about new ideas, people, or things that I need to rethink?

It’s time to pack for my next trip – Taipei, then Boblingen and later in the summer, Singapore. If you’re not sure, where those places are – check the internet. Have a great summer. Take a trip. At an interesting sign, make one of those left turns, search for something new, and think first before you make any assumptions.

I plan to be back in Ireland in September. I’ll be looking for another candle shop. Just hope there’s a pub nearby.

From an international candle shop near Portmagee, Ireland…

Charlie