Too Blind to See
By Art Waskey
July 2011
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet and a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.” A few coins were in the hat. A man walking by stopped and added a few coins of his own. He then took the sign and on the back wrote a new message. He placed the sign so that the new words were displayed. People paused as they read and the hat began to fill.
That afternoon the man who changed the sign returned. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. I wrote: ‘Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.’ "
Here are my lessons from the story.
1. Appreciate accomplishments—We are all searching for that perfect position or place in life. Until we find it, we should make the best of our current situation, striving to make an impact in whatever endeavors we are engaged in. Those around us will be encouraged by our example.
2. Be creative in the use of resources—We now have the opportunity to combine rapidly changing technologies and our imagination to transform the everyday into something new; a new solution to a problem, a new process, or a new device.
3. Be innovative—It has been said that there’s nothing new under the sun, yet by revisiting old ideas and reevaluating old problems with a different perspective, many times fresh ideas and solutions are found. We need to look at how we make decisions and how we choose solutions, forcing ourselves to think out of the proverbial “box.”
4. Think differently and positively—When life gives you 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1,000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret, celebrating your failures as learning opportunities, along with your successes. Confidently approach the present. Prepare for the future without fear, having faith in your abilities.
Both signs in the opening story told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said so. The second sign told those that could see just what being able to see meant. Should we be sur- prised that the second sign was more effective?
The way we react to life’s circumstances makes all the difference in our outcomes. By seeing things positively and with a different perspective we avoid being labeled “too blind to see.”
Art Waskey is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for General Air Services and Supply Company in Denver, CO, and author of “The Art of Sales in One Month” and “The Art of Sales in a Second Month.” He can be reached at awaskey@generalair.com.
