Be a Believer to be an Achiever Author: Harvey Mackay The professor stood before his class
of 30 senior molecular biology students, about to pass out the final
exam. "I have been privileged to be your instructor this semester, and I
know how hard you have all worked to prepare for this test. I also know
most of you are off to medical school or grad school next fall," he
said to them.
"I am well aware of how much
pressure you are under to keep your GPAs up, and because I know you are
all capable of understanding this material, I am prepared to offer an
automatic 'B' to anyone who would prefer not to take the final." The
relief was audible as a number of students jumped up to thank the
professor and departed from class. The professor looked at the handful
of students who remained, and offered again, "Any other takers? This is
your last opportunity." One more student decided to go.
Seven students remained. The
professor closed the door and took attendance. Then he handed out the
final exam. There were two sentences typed on the paper:
"Congratulations, you have just received an 'A' in this class. Keep believing in yourself."
I never had a professor who gave a
test like that. It may seem like the easy way out of grading a bunch of
exams, but it's a test that any teacher in any discipline could and
should give. Students who don't have confidence in what they've learned
are 'B' students at best. The
same is true for students of real life. The 'A' students are those who
believe in what they're doing because they've learned from both
successes and failures. They've absorbed life's lessons, whether from
formal education or the school of hard knocks, and become better
people. Those are the people who
you look for when you're hiring or promoting, and the ones you keep if
you're downsizing. An organization needs their brand of thinking.
THINK ABOUT IT:
It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.
|