SOME of the richest people in the world are those who saw opportunity while others had not noticed anything. The others had eyes but couldn’t see!
A woman took her 14-year-old daughter to an oldies concert which was music from the 60’s and 70’s and felt lucky to get front row seats. When they returned home, her daughter said, “During the show, I looked back and saw hundreds of little lights swaying to the music. At first, I thought the people were holding candles, then realized the lights were the reflections off all the eyeglasses in the audience. Mother, could you all really see what was on stage after wearing glasses?”
“Of course we could,” said the mother, “and we enjoyed it!” “You all must be blind,” said the daughter, “It was so boring!” And as we laugh at the little girl, wondering who was blind, the mother or daughter, I know incidences were we older folk also act blind: I went for a business meeting the other day to a fancy club and the old man, a businessman turned to me and said, “I don’t do business with internet people!”
“Internet people?” I asked puzzled. Yes people who get orders online! I believe in going personally to an office, meeting the customer, shaking his hand, then getting down to business!” “And by the time you do that the man who is Internet savvy would have cracked ten deals!” I thought to myself.
These are those who have eyes but can’t see. There are numerous stories of people who lacked vision. A Hollywood producer scrawled a curt rejection note on a manuscript that became “Gone With The Wind.” He had no vision that the movie would break all records.
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright finally succeeded in keeping their homemade airplane in the air for 59 seconds. They rushed a telegram to their sister telling of this great accomplishment. The telegram read, “First sustained flight today fifty-nine seconds. Hope to be home by Christmas.” Their sister was so excited she rushed to the newspaper office and gave the telegram to the editor. The next morning the newspaper headed the story: “Popular Local Bicycle Merchants To Be Home For Holidays.” The hapless editor saw the obvious but missed the real story.
Vision is never about seeing the obvious. It’s about looking ahead, about seeing what is not there – yet, about seeing the potential that is yet to come. Like spotting the potential for success in a child who, as is obvious to everyone else, will likely fail. Or recognizing the potential for something good to come from a situation others are writing off as lost! Have eyes that see..!
—(bobsbanter@gmail.com)
