The Road Less Traveled

[fridayreflections]

From http://fridayreflections.com

Two roads diverged in the wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference”
- From a Poem by Robert Frost.

Storyline:

Prior to Christopher Columbus’ voyage to America in 1492, the known path to India was going east via the African coastline.

Christopher Columbus decided to travel westward to reach India. The scientists, navigators and experienced travelers of the time thought that he was crazy.

So when Columbus approached the King of Portugal for venture money to sponsor a voyage to India via the western route, he received a “No, Thank You.” The King had already invested in plans to reach India through the eastern route.

Columbus received similar responses from crowns in Spain, France and England. But he did not give up - I guess some people never learn from existing data. Finally, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain did put seed money in to Columbus’ venture. The rest is history.

Reflection:

The key difference between Columbus’ voyage and other contemporary explorers of his time was that Columbus took the road less traveled. And in the process he discovered a new continent and unlimited opportunities for the people who followed.

[zoobie]

Great. Thanks for sharing that. By the way, The Road Less Traveled is a good book.