wealthy merchant sent his assistant to a developing country to explore the possibility of building a shoe factory there. A month later the assistant returned with a report that said:
“Sir, it is impossible to build a shoe factory in this country. Most of the population walks barefoot and does not wear shoes. The idea of selling a product that people do not use feels crazy to me!”
The merchant then decided to send another (different) assistant on the same mission to the same country before making a final decision. A month later the second assistant returned with a report that said:
“The idea of building a shoe factory here seems brilliant to me. We can achieve unimaginable profits, because no one has ever come here before, and the people suffer from walking barefoot. They will surely flock to buy our factory’s products!”.
This is not an exaggeration to say that this story encapsulates the secret of life itself.
Of course, if we look deeper, it is not only about the events and characters. The issue is far larger than two assistants sent on a mission, and far more complex than a shoe factory and a merchant wanting to start a new business.
People differ significantly on the same issue, and this difference never originates from the issue itself but from the perspective each individual takes.
The story actually tells us that people’s attitudes toward an event in life do not reveal necessarily the nature of the event, but instead reveal the character of the people themselves.
When we change our perspective on a situation, our attitude toward it changes, and even can be completely reversed.
The essence of the story is that sometimes in order to change the reality of life, all we need is to change the way we view it.
It’s all about mindset!
(Shamsi Ali Al-Nuyorki).
