Page 52 - YOU CAN WIN - SHIV KHERA

RokZRooM Special ! You Can Win by Shiv Khera

6. Selfishness and Greed

Individuals and organizations that have a selfish attitude toward each other and toward
their customers have no right to expect growth. Their attitude is to keep passing the buck
without regard for the welfare of others. Greed always wants more. Needs can be
satisfied but greed cannot. It is a cancer of the soul. Greed destroys relationships. How
do we gauge our greed index? By asking ourselves three questions:

♦ Can I afford it?
♦ Do I really need it?
♦ If I have it, will it give me peace of mind?

Greed comes out of poor self-esteem, which manifests itself as false pride, pretense or
keeping up with the Joneses. The way out of greed is to learn to live within your means
and be satisfied. Being contented does not mean lacking ambition.

WHERE DOES IT END?

There is a story about a wealthy farmer who was once offered all the land he could walk
on in a day, provided he came back by sundown to the point where he started. To get a
new start, early the next morning the farmer started covering ground quickly because he
wanted to get as much land as he could. Even though he was tired, he kept going all
afternoon because he didn't want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to gain more
wealth.
Late in the afternoon he realized the condition he had to fulfill to get the land was to get
back to the starting point by sundown. His greed had gotten him far enough. He started
his return journey, keeping an eye on how close he was to sundown. The closer it got to
sundown, the faster he ran. He was exhausted, out of breath and pushed himself beyond
the point of endurance. He collapsed upon reaching the starting point and died. He did
make it before sundown. He was buried and all the land he needed was a small plot.

There is a lot of truth in this story and a lesson to be learned. Whether the farmer was
wealthy or not, any greedy person would have ended the same way.

7. Lack of Conviction

People who lack conviction take the middle of the road; and guess what happens in the
middle of the road? They get run over.
People without conviction do not take a stand. They go along to get along because they
lack confidence and courage. They conform in order to get accepted even when they
know that what they are doing is wrong. They behave like part of a herd.
Some people consider themselves a shade better because they do not support the
wrong; however, they lack the conviction to oppose. They do not realize that by not
opposing they are actually supporting.

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