The Balloon Seller and the Power Within
A man made his living selling colorful balloons—red, blue, green, yellow, and many more—at a fair. Sometimes, when his sales slowed down, he would release a helium-filled balloon into the sky. Seeing the balloon rise high above, excited children would rush toward him, and his sales would soar again. The balloon seller used this clever trick throughout the day to attract customers.
One day, as he felt a tug on his shirt from behind, he turned around and saw a little boy. The boy asked, “Sir, will a black balloon also fly in the sky?” The balloon seller smiled warmly at the boy’s curiosity and replied, “My dear, it’s not the color of the balloon that makes it rise—it’s the gas inside that lifts it.”
The same is true for human life. What’s inside us is what really matters. It’s our inner attitude and mindset that help us rise above.
Have you ever wondered why some people, organizations, or even nations are more successful than others?
There’s no great mystery behind it. Successful people think and act with a clear and purposeful goal in mind. They understand that the most valuable resource in achieving success is people. They also know how to develop and utilize this human potential effectively. I firmly believe that the quality of one’s people determines the success of any individual, organization, or nation.
While speaking with top executives of leading organizations around the world, I’ve often asked them one question:
“If you were given a magic wand and told you could change one thing to increase productivity and profits in your business, what would you choose?”
Their answers were unanimous: If the attitude of the people in the organization could be improved, they would work together more effectively; waste would be reduced; loyalty toward the organization would increase; and, as a result, the company would become a model of efficiency and performance.
William James of Harvard University once said,
“The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”
Experience has shown that human resources are the most valuable asset in any endeavor—far more important than capital or machinery. Unfortunately, it is also the most wasted resource. A person can either become your greatest asset or your biggest liability.
