Learn From Others

Shyam &  Tushar joined a company together, a few months after their Graduation from University.

After a few years of work, their Manager promoted Shyam to a position of Senior Sales Manager, but Tushar remained in his entry level Junior Sales Officer position. Tushar developed a sense of jealousy & disgruntlement, but continued working anyway!

One day, Tushar felt that he could not work with Shyam, anymore. He wrote his resignation letter, but before he submitted it to the Manager, he complained that  Management did not value hard working staff, but only promoted only the favored!

The Manager knew that Shyam worked with sincerity & was dedicated to his assignments for the years he had spent at the Company; even worked harder than Tushar & therefore he deserved the promotion. So in order to help Tushar realise this, the Manager gave Tushar a task.

“Go and find out if anyone is selling water melons in town?”

Tushar returned & said, "Yes there is someone!"

The Manager asked, "How much do they cost per kg?" Tushar drove back to town to ask & then returned to inform the Manager;  "they are Rs.13.50 per kg!"

The Manager told Tus,har "I will give Shyam the same assignment that I gave you. Pay close attention to his response!"

So the Manager said to Shyam in the presence of Tushar; “Go & find out if anyone is selling water melons in town?”

Shyam went to find out & on his return he said: "Manager ji, there is only one person selling water melons in the whole town. The cost is Rs. 49 per piece & Rs. 32,50 for a half melon. He sells them at Rs. 13.50 per kg when sliced. He has in his stock 93 melons, each one weighing about 7 kg. He has a farm & can supply us with melons for the next 4 months at 102 melons per day at Rs. 27.00 per melon; this includes delivery!

The melons appear fresh & red with good quality & they taste better than the ones we sold last year! He has his own slicing machine & is willing to slice for us free of charge! We need to strike a deal with him before 10 am tomorrow & we will be sure of improving on last year's profits in melons by Rs. 223 000! This will contribute positively to our overall performance as it will add a minimum of 3.78% to our current overall sales performance! I have put this information down in writing & is available on spread sheet. Pls let me know if you need any more info, as I can send it to you in fifteen minutes!"

Tushar was very impressed & realized the difference between himself & Shyam! He decided not to resign but to learn from Shyam!

As we begin this fresh year, let this story help us keep in mind the importance of going an extra mile in all our endeavors!

You won't be rewarded for doing what you're meant to do, you already get a salary for that! You will definitely be rewarded for going an extra mile; performing beyond expectations!

To be successful in real life situations you must be smart, observant, proactive & willing to do more, be positive, learn to live with back stabbers,  think more, a more holistic perspective & go beyond the call of duty!

Live for Others

In 1892 at Stanford University, an 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.

They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the soonest possible.

“No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.
It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.
Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
He heard there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.
A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved.

He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”

The world is a wonderful place. What goes around comes around. Please help others to the best of your ability. In the long run you may be helping yourself. God never forgets anyone who sows a good seed in other people, never.

Nothing in nature lives for itself. Rivers don't drink their own water. Trees don't eat their own fruit. Sun doesn't give heat for itself. Flowers don't spread fragrance for themselves. Living for others is the rule of nature. And therein lies the secret of living.