Not For Sale |
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By: Tommy Yan Posted: 2008-03-20 09:04:07 |
| "You're disqualified..." the Judge ruled, "If you don't reveal to me the person who suggested that you to talk with the Test Speaker.""I will not," Ann replied."So be it," was the reply back.Ann kept her lips zipped. Which ended her run to win the Best Speech Evaluator contest in her district. If she would have divulged her source she might have jeopardized lasting friendships. And she would have secretly been labeled a snitch.She made her choice, yet it really wasn't even a choice after all. She did the only sensible thing. She didn't sell out. And in doing so she was declaring that she was "Not For Sale."Wow...An evaluator talking with the speaker is very common in her speech club. In fact, they're supposed to get together. But this was a contest and the rules are quite different. But nobody in Ann's circle knew about the differences before that day.The powers that be not only wanted to enforce the rules-they wanted Ann to rat on the innocent colleague who unknowingly misinformed her. Sort of like rubbing salt on a wound. A mistake was made and instead of gracefully moving forward they wanted to make an example of someone.Isn't that what small people do?I attended this contest. Besides her support group I didn't notice anyone else giving positive regard that Ann did an awesome job. She is a solid evaluator. But she was a little put out by the sheer pettiness of how the situation was handled. She confided that she will not compete in this contest again.How disappointing. All that talent quietly sitting on the sidelines. But she will continue being active in her club. That's where her loyalty lies.By keeping silent, Ann made a wise decision. She protected what was important to her. It was really the choice between winning an artificial tablet with her engraved name on it, or protecting and sticking with close friends. Let's look at it this way: One you can pawn away-the other can pay dividends for life.I met with her two days later. She never even brought up the subject. We had more interesting topics to discuss. You see, she had already moved forward.So how do you handle those tough times?Do you lose sleep and whine about how unfair you were treated? Maybe you threw your hands in the air and gave up all hope. Or perhaps you decided to move forward and leave the small pains where they belong-with small people.Wherever life finds you, it would be a mistake to focus on the hurts and pains. Life is too precious and short to stay stuck in misery. What happened has already happened.You have the chance to move forward. To improve your destiny. To transform the negative into a positive. And, as in Ann's case, to declare yourself "Not For Sale."Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy's Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at www.TommyYan.com.If you're a speaker, trainer, coach, or a consultant-the major challenge you face is connecting with your audience. You talk, shout, or recite your message while they are dreaming about dinner.Their eyes are glossy, their minds' elsewhere, and their bodies ready to bolt. You don't have a lot of time, so you've got to grab their attention fast. Or else, you'll die wrestling against audience resistance. |
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