What About Me?
Part Two
Neighbors And Business Relationships
Now, think about this.
Do you know your neighbor? No, ... really? Think of the man or woman next door. Do you know them? Are you familiar with them? Have you visited with them lately? 90% of us will have said, "No" to this question. But why would we have said "no"? Because we are wrapped up in our own little worlds. If we are not concerned about our neighbor, then are we not self centered? If we are not concerned with our neighbor enough to at least introduce ourselves to them, what are we saying to them? "I do not have the time to come over and say hello, I am wrapped up in my own world and my own goals". Again, it comes down to What about me? Yes, that is what is driving you. What about me?
A councilman and another councilman. Instead of thinking "What about Me? Let
them begin to "Think What about the other's needs?". The conflict now has weakened, it becomes workable.
The arrogant, belligerent, proud stance is done away with and the differences can be worked out. America, because of being blessed by God, needs to be a servant to the world. Not a power to display
and to manipulate others by. America needs to be an example of servitude. We have become self centered, self righteous, prideful, and arrogant. The time for change is now. The time to turn from these ways
of which we do business, we do religion, we do politics, we do everything needs to change. And we need to bring
God back into not only our daily lives, but our working lives, and our recreation lives, and our political lives.
America Needs Revival!
The real America of times past, was a country that saw the hurt in a country and gave of herself to help, with no thought of gain. But her thirst for the good things has driven her into a lust for money, which brought in greed, arrogance, and pride. Give her a little time and she will come around again to that Nation she used to be. For within her, she is beginning to see herself as others do, which is quite a wakeup call. She will turn around. But let us stay on the subject of What about me?
As I mentioned before, a City Councilman working with a City Councilman can work together if all they thought of was "What about the other's needs?" How can I help him in attaining his objective (be it a good and honest thing)? Now, if that were so, then where are the "roadblocks"? where are the barriers and hurdles that one has to go through inorder to achieve the objective? There is none for instead of the one becoming an adversary, he has now become an ally. Instead of having to fight against a foe he is working with a friend. The objective gets accomplished, on both sides.
On the otherhand, the one who stopped being the adversary, does not think, "What about me?" for he is now thinking "What about Him?" and the others concerns. When the other's situation is worked out and completed what will he do? Would he not, turn around and do the same for the other? Now, he, is not thinking "What about me, is he? He is now thinking "What about him?" what about that guy who helped me get that done? What are His Objectives that he is concerned with? And so, now instead of the councilman being an adversary against the other councilman, he has become an ally as well! so where are the barriers, the hurdles, the fight uphill that always comes from political battles of differences of opinions? Whoa! Stop! What! Differences of Opinions? Where does that come from?
Differences of Opinion. It comes from the same base of thought, "What about me?" ie; He thinks that the city should pay for the development of a water system through a short term tax hike. The other thinks the city should just absorb the cost through the grants they get annually from the Federal government. There is a difference of opinion. Now look at it origination. One is actually saying, "Yes, we need the water system improvements but we cannot afford it, let it be paid by the taxpayer" He is concerned about "What about me? Me, in this case being the city. The other is saying, "Yes we need the improvments for the water system but we have taxed the people to death and they cannot handle anymore taxes." He is concerned about "What about me?" Me, in this case being the people. So the conflict, the Difference of Opinion comes from "What about me?" Doesn't it? But what both fail to see is both have said, Yes, we need improvements to the water system!" but it becomes a stalemate situation because of pride, and the concern of what about me on both sides. But what if the progression happened like this?
councilman #1 says, "Yes we need new improvements to the water system, somehow we need to absorb the costs or a majority of the cost through the city for the taxpayers have been taxed enough." and Councilman number#2 says, "Yes, we do need improvements to the water system, would there be a way to share the burden amongest the city, the taxpayers, and the Federal Government?" What just happened? What about me got shoved out of the way, The possibility of a solution now exists. And where there could not be a solution, now a solution exists! By one of the council recognizing the burden already on the taxpayers he has shown his thinking to have changed to "What about them? What about the other?" he has become a servant with a servants attitude.. so too with the 2nd councilman.. The attitude of servitude is now present and a solution can be obtained.. If you wonder where will this type of attitude on both parts would end up? :) The Taxpayers will end up paying a small share of the costs through a bond, as the majority of the cost will be the burden of the grants that are obtained by the city.
Now what about the Busness man? There is a manufacturer who has a plant with 100 employees. His thinking is "We cant go on like this. I am paying out $200 a week for each employee that is an outflow of $20,000 a week! Now, if I cut back just 10 employees that means I can save $2000 a week! over $8000 a month! So he announces layoffs of 10 people.. Where is his thinking? Is it not based on "What about me?" But where does it lead? It leads to 10 people out of work, 10 people not being able to live right. 10 people who now have to spend money they dont have in looking for jobs that are not there. The manufacter has just started a snowball effect in reverse which ultimately begins a recesson in the community.
But now, lets see the same scenerio in reverse, with an attitude of "What about them?" I, being the manufacturer thinks, "WE have a problem, at the rate we are going we are losing valuable resources. But if we layoff personnel, that will cause even more loss of resources, my employees. Our sales are down just a bit, how can I adjust for the short run and still able to keep my employees on the payroll? WE could cut production costs back by negotiating better costs for raw product, even cut costs in shipping by utilizing palletized loads. Or I could reduce the hourly wage for each employee by 10cents an hour (80cents a day) to help defray the costs, that way we can keep the employees on the payroll. Or a combination of all three. What did he do? He has changed his thinking to "What about them, which gave him more options to use" When faced with a situation like this, a businessman needs to realize that his most important resource is his employees and they, like him, need to keep working inorder to supply the bread on the table of each of their homes. So the plan of the day is "What about them? What the about the other?"
Even in the other end of business it works. Sales! It works better. I used to be in sales... in both aspects. The Selfish way, in just going out and sell like crazy and beat the other salesmen and say, I'm the best.. but where was I coming from? yes you got it, I was coming from an attitude of "What about me?" it doesnt work. But when I went in with an attitude of What are their needs? and only sold what they needed? Not only did I sell correctly, but I ended up gaining more clients, because I started to earn the reputation of doing what the client needed, Not what I wanted to sell to them. It works. All from changing the attitude from "What about me?" To "What about them?" Question? What happened to the concern of "What about me?" Did it not get taken care of, through "What about them?" the attitude of servitude changed it and served more, blessed more, and it even took care of me! Yes What about me got kicked out of the equation!
So, to sum it up, in the case of neighbors and councilmen and businessmen, having an attitude of "What about me?" does not work and it reveals selfishness and arrogance and it even causes negative results. Where as having an attitude of "What about them?" "What about the other?" shows an attitude of servitude, an attitude of concern for the other party and his needs. It is in this frame of service that the real objectives are finally accomplished. Try it, no matter what it is that you do. Have an attitude of service/servitude to the other.
OH, by the way, in reference to Gangs in the streets? This attitude works best of all. Do not think "What about me?" for that is the basis of gang wars in the first place. but think, "What about them?" Why is it that they believe the way that they do? What can we do to help them in that need? Now, what have you done? With that attitude of servitude you have taken all the animosity and hate and jealousy away in one move, and have created an atmosphere of hope, And that is the one ingredient that is needed to thwart the evilness of Gang wars. Giving hope where there is none. Only an attitude of servitude can change that environment ... try it ... you will see that it works and works well. You, who are the city councilman and of the city's governing force. You want to step on the gangs and stop their activities. You cannot do that with an attitude of "What about me?" for it brings nothing in but antagonism. But with an attitude of servitude, you can begin to think, "What about them?" and when you begin to think as a city, "What about them?" They, the gangs, will begin to see that there is a ray of hope out there.. just a flicker, but just the same .. it is a ray of hope.. And that will begin to change their thinking, also from "What about me?" To "Hey man, What about them?" :)
Coming up, "What about me? Part III" The kicker.
Oh just a note... "There is a freedom that comes with the attitude change "What about them?"
James Banfield
(c)11/04
USA