You Can’t Outsmart the Dog
An elderly lady had been invited by some friends to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of their summer cottage. The owners, however, had a large, spoiled dog. The favorite chair of the guest was also the favorite chair of the dog. Being somewhat afraid of the large animal the guest never dared to command him. Her creative mind came up with a plan and it worked. She went to the widow and called out, “Look Rover, cats, CATS!” The dog rushed over to the window and began barking furiously. While the dark barked, the woman slipped into the favorite chair. This worked fine for a few days. However, one day Rover entered the room and discovered the guest was already in the chair. The dog ran to the window and barked furiously. The woman rose from the chair and went to the window. The dog immediately ran to the chair and claimed his choice position. He learned the woman’s trick.
I don’t recall that the writer of the story claimed it was true but it does point to a real-life lesson — We reap what we sow.
In my youth I remember people saying, “These young people sow their wild oats and then pray for crop failure.” Rather than praying for crop failure, I’d rather be careful what I sow.
Instead of deceit let’s commit to seeds of honesty. If there is a weakness, flaw, or downside to the product, be honest and put the truth on the table. Point out what is good about the product and then state the negative. Let your buyer make an informed decision.
We are told to always put our best foot forward. Cover your weakness with strength. I will tell you where I have succeeded and leave out my failures. Transparency and trust are essential for strong relationships. When a person is transparent in their weakness you can put more weight on their areas of strength.
Embellishment may enhance the story but at the end of the day is it the truth? You like to hear some people tell the story because of the dramatic flair that is added. But at the end of the “drama” you hear yourself saying, “I wonder if that is what really happened?”
Here are some thoughts that will enhance the harvest of what you sow.
- In what way will what I am doing enhance the person who is the recipient of my words or actions? True success is leaving people or my environment in a better place when leave than when I came. When I am focused on what you think of me more than how can I enrich you I will be more likely to do whatever it takes to paint the best possible picture of me.
- What words can I use that will stimulate you to develop the potential God placed within you when He created you? Most of us know when we have failed. We don’t need to have that wrong rehearsed. What we need is steps of action that will enable us to climb out of the pit and make better decisions.
- Dismiss negative words before they sprout. Tenaciously guard the language out of your mouth and strictly prohibit negative judgements from lodging in your mind. Those are the careless words spoken to you: “how can you be so dumb;” “you’ll never amount to anything;” “you are so clumsy;” “you are such a loser;” and the list goes on. People have the right to form their own opinion about you but you are not bound to judge yourself by it.
Don’t try to trick the dog. You reap what you sow. Commit today to sow good seeds and I’ll see you at the top.
Duane Harder
Free Classifieds