It all started on the way home from Big Seminar. Being that I live in
the same town as Lisa Diane, we and a couple other
friends drove together to Atlanta to attend Armand Morin’s Big Seminar.
On the way back home I was driving Lisa’s beautiful black H2 Hummer
when it happened.
I was driving pretty fast, ok very fast. The passenger to my immediate
right was constantly telling me to slow down.
I think you see where this is going.
Anyway, I go flying by a cop somewhere in the neighborhood of
85-90 (dumb I know)…but guess what? He didn’t stop me!
Ha Ha!
I know I lucked out.
Just a few minutes later I’m driving a lot slower (because of slow
people in front of me) when I see 2 cops who have someone pulled
over.
As I look closer I see that one of the cops is digging through the
trunk while a middle aged woman watches.
From my point of view, this cop was definitely searching her car. I
hate to admit this, but I’ve been pulled over and had my car searched
on at least 4 different occasions.
I casually stated to Lisa (who was nodding off in the back seat) look
I can’t believe that cop is searching that womans’ car!
Lisa then stated very matter of factly, “Oh, I thought he was helping
her fix a flat tire, and he was looking for the spare in the back of
the trunk.”
That’s when it hit me.
More than just the story of the cop and the trunk.
I realized that what we perceive is usually the result
of our past.
I was bringing the “bad cop” because I have had negative
experiences with the police.
Lisa saw a “good cop” because she has had generally positive
experiences with the police as servants of the community.
We both saw the same exact scene and walked away (should
I say drove?) with two very different assumptions about
what we had just seen.
This applies immensely to our business lives, our emotional
development, relationships, and pretty much every aspect
of our life.
When presented with a situation, don’t be like me and let
your past dictate the future outcome.
Instead, decide on a new fresh perspective that allows you
the freedom to see the world in a whole new way.
When you do that, there’s no limit to what you can
accomplish, what business you can start, what new
relationship you can have.
It’s all just a matter of perspective. 🙂
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