Totally Fulfilled
overheard the owner complaining about the restaurant that opened across the street. They were seeking the city’s permission to expand by building an addition. Business must have been good there. The owner of the place I where I was eating wasn’t happy about the possi- ble expansion, so he hired an attorney to fight it. He was determined to do everything he could to stop it and spend whatever it took to do so. I could hear the anger in his voice, and I felt sorry for him. The man refused to recognize that change is an inevitable and important part of life. This could be perceived as an exciting time for business and personal growth. Yet it was converted into stress, anger, and negativity—none of which are part of a fulfilled life. I’m not a cold-hearted person, but
Instead of looking at the changes as a threat, he should have seen them as an opportunity for growth
I really sat there thinking about how misguided this owner was about change. He had to have been aware that the neighborhood was changing and the businesses and restaurants should have made him think about updating his place. Instead of looking at the changes
as a threat, he should have seen them as an opportunity for growth. He was content to stay in the same place, and in life, when you insist on sitting still, someone is going to pass you by. That’s just the way it is. I don’t mean that he had to play the game of keeping up with the Joneses—you shouldn’t really care what others have—but he should have kept his operation more current, seen what was hap- pening around him, and had some plan for dealing with it. It could be as simple as seeing change coming and embracing it by being pre- pared with simple, easy-to-apply techniques you will soon learn. I wanted to say to him, “Why don’t you take the money and energy you’re spending on a lawyer and use it to update your décor? Do some advertising or some guerilla marketing to the many new offices and businesses around you? Why not build relationships with those people instead of working to get a reputation as an obstacle?”
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