The teacher of Ecclesiastes genuinely cares about the practical parts of our lives and so he sits us down to share with us something essential for living it wisely. He opens today’s passage by sharing a story from his past that illustrates the lesson. Then he points out three clues that will help us both understand and move towards living it out more fully in different areas of life. What are those clues? They are; dead flies, venomous snakes, and talking birds.