In Victory Be Honest

 

True Life Story

 

Kenyan runner Abel Mutai was only a few meters from the finish line, but got confused with the signs and stopped, thinking he had finished the race.

A Spanish man, Ivan Fernandez, was right behind him and, realizing what was going on, started shouting to the Kenyan to keep running. Mutai did not know Spanish and did not understand.

Realizing what was going on, Fernandez pushed Mutai to victory.

After the race, a reporter asked Ivan, "Why did you do this?" Ivan replied, "My dream is that one day we can have some sort of community life where we push ourselves and help each other win."

The reporter insisted "But why did you let the Kenyan win?" Ivan replied, "I didn't let him win, he was going to win. The race was his."

The reporter insisted and asked again, "But you could have won!" Ivan looked at him and replied: "But what would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honor of this medal? What would my Mother think of it?"

From his responses, Ivan taught us one of the biggest life lessons that no victory is more valuable than being honest. Another person would have taken advantage of Abel's confusion but Ivan did not. He wanted to have a clear conscience after the race. To him taking advantage of someone's mistakes or confusion is akin to dishonesty and his Mother taught him to be honest in all things and at all time.

While most of us take advantage of people's weaknesses, true strength lies in helping them.

In this new year 2021, I want everyone of us to win; let's work together and help each other so we can push one another to the finishing line.

We all deserve victory

Adapted for #Successwithdrjerrythefirst

The Interviewee Who Hated Me

This short piece broke the internet a few days ago

I am reproducing it here for those who missed it or who read it in a hurry

Here:

"THE INTERVIEWEE WHO HATED ME

Six years ago a guy looked at me face-to-face and boldly told me, "I don't like you!"

I immediately fired a response. I asked him, "Thank you for the honest feedback, but those whom you like, how has it made their life better? How does your liking people pay their bills or secure them a bank loan? My brother keep your like, I need God's like and that's what guarantees my future."

Today I joined a CEO friend of mine in on interview panel to recruit some new staff. It was a long session. As we returned from a coffee break to continue the hectic interview session, that same guy walked in with his grey jacket and CV, coming for the interview.

Our eyes kissed by fluke. We immediately recognized each other. "The world is indeed spherical," I said to myself.

He felt very uncomfortable throughout the interview. One could clearly see the volcanic eruption playing out in his whole nervous system. He even mistook his date of birth for his last date of employment. It wasn't yet my turn to ask him questions so I allowed everyone to take their turns with him and deliberately opted to interview him last.

When it got to my turn, the first thing I said was, "I LIKE YOU so much, you look to me like a brilliant and intelligent person, but it seems you are not doing well now because something bothers you, true?"

"That's very correct, Sir!" he responded.

"OK, look at me straight in the eye, I was never offended that day. It is very normal that sometimes as humans you just don't like certain people, but I wasn't bothered either, because whether you liked me or not, it was inconsequential to my life and my success path. As you can see, fate has brought you to my lair."

I stood up and beckoned him to come and embrace me. Everyone on the panel at this point were at sea - wondering if we had expeditiously recast an interview session to a Hollywood movie scene.

He hugged me so long and deeply that I felt it. Then I told him, "Now get your confidence back brother and answer the questions like a Pro Shark that you are!"

We all burst into laughter. Everyone suddenly liked him and the room became livelier. The interview became more like a discussion. Well, to cut the long story short, he got the job!

Lessons:

1. Be careful how you treat people when they appear to be in their vulnerable state. Your next level may be hanging in their balance, somewhere in the future.

2. If you dislike someone, it is not their fault, it is YOUR FAULT; work on yourself to find good in people and reinvent your mind to see everyone as likeable.

3. Don't spew hatred vocally just because it came into your heart. You may say it to someone who will keep it forever and use it against you when you find yourself in your own low moments and need them.

4. Learn to forgive, overlook people's dislike and hatred for you. Don't punish people just because you have the position and privilege to do so, bless them instead. That's how you court God's blessings, favour and protection."

The Man To Be CEO

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. 

He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young

executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.

"I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO." 

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.

Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.

Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the

seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.

But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing

moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was

amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. 

They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My,

what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. 

"Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to

bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives,

"Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!

His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water

it, and bring it back to me today. 

But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.

When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the

only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the

new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust 

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends 

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment 

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective 

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success 

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation 

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Think about this for a minute....

Do you know what the Relationship is between your two eyes? 

They blink together, they move together, they cry together, they see things together, and they sleep together,

but they never see each other; ....that's what friendship is..

Your aspiration is your motivation, 

your motivation is your belief, 

your belief is your peace, 

your peace is your target,

your target is heaven,

and life is like hard core torture without it! 

Live a sincere Life! 

It pays! 

God bless!