Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Change Your Point of View --- Joe Gracia

Imagine you're in London's Heathrow Airport. While you're waiting for
your flight, you notice a kiosk selling shortbread cookies. You buy a
box, put them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for
an available seat so you can sit down and enjoy your cookies.Finally
you find a seat next to a gentleman. You reach down into your
traveling bag and pull out your box of shortbread cookies.
As you do so, you notice that the gentleman starts watching you
intensely. He stares as you open the box and his eyes follow your hand
as you pick up the cookie and bring it to your mouth. Just then he
reaches over and takes one of your cookies from the box, and eats it!
You're more than a little surprised at this. Actually, you're at a
loss for words. Not only does he take one cookie, but he alternates
with you. For every one cookie you take, he takes one.
Now, what's your immediate impression of this guy? Crazy? Greedy? He's
got some nerve?! Can you imagine the words you might use to describe
this man to your associates back at the office? Meanwhile, you both
continue eating the cookies until there's just one left. To your
surprise, the man reaches over and takes it. But then he does
something unexpected. He breaks it in half, and gives half to you.
After he's finished with his half he gets up, and without a word, he
leaves.
You think to yourself, "Did this really happen?" You're left sitting
there dumbfounded and still hungry. So you go back to the kiosk and
buy another box of cookies. You then return to your seat and begin
opening your new box of cookies when you glance down into your
traveling bag. Sitting there in your bag is your original box of
ookies -- still unopened.
Only then do you realize that when you reached down earlier, you had
reached into the other man's bag, and grabbed his box of cookies by
mistake. Now what do you think of the man? Generous? Tolerant? You've
just experienced a profound paradigm shift. You're seeing things from
a new point of view.
Is it time to change your point of view?
Now, think of this story as it relates to your life . Seeing things
from a new point of view can be very enlightening. Think outside the
box. Don't settle for the status quo. Things may not be what they
seem.

posted by Deeps @ 7/05/2005 05:24:00 AM