This article was published by Lawrence L. Fargher and written by Jim Gillon:

"It was cold and blustery, as it had been for a month now. The weather had been good for our business in the grocery store, but some of the customers were getting on our nerves. Particularly one little old lady. She was new in the neighborhood, but everyone soon had problems with her. She always needed help to find items and was constantly returning things, complaining and doing anything else she could think of to irritate us.

"As I went to open the store, our pesty customer was making her way across the parking lot, practically dragging a bulky old bag. 'Oh, no, what is she up to this morning?' I asked one of the cashiers. 'Probably bringing back the items we had to hunt for for her yesterday,' he said. I angrily watched as she slowly made her way to the store.

"'Excuse me, Sir,' she said while tugging at my arm. 'Is there a place in back to plug in my crock pot?' 'What?' I said very rudely. 'I made some stew for your people, and the pot needs to be plugged in so it will be warm for lunch.'

"I didn't know what to say. Very embarrassed, I helped her to our coffee room. While she was putting her things on the table, I thought of all the terrible things we had said about her. None of us really knew her, but we had been quick to talk badly about her. After she was out of the store, I went back to the coffee room. On top of her crock pot was a hand-printed message: 'For the employees, from one who always needs help.' That was wrong. We were the ones who needed help."

That's a powerful message. See you at the top!

Company, School, Family or Church

The following bulletin appeared in a church publication, however it would fit appropriately in nearly any type of publication:

"Do you know how many members of the Tate family belong to our church? There is old man Dic Tate, who wants to run everything, while Uncle Ro Tate tries to change everything. Their sister Agi Tate stirs up plenty of trouble, with help from her husband Irri Tate. When new projects are suggested for the parish, Hesi Tate and his wife Vege Tate want to wait until next year. Then there is Aunt Imi Tate, who wants our parish to be like all the others. And, of course, there is the black sheep of the family, Ampu Tate, who has cut himself off from the church.

"But not all the Tates are bad. Brother Facili Tate is quite helpful in church projects. Cousins Cogi Tate and Medi Tate always think things over and lend a steadying hand. And finally, there is that delightfully happy member of the family, Miss Felici Tate."

I hope you noticed that it ends on a positive note. All of us have people in our organization like one or more members of the Tate family. Question: Which "Tate" family includes you? All of us belong to one of them. The first "Tate" family is made up of losers. The second "Tate" family consists entirely of winners.

You can change your name from Jones to Smith by getting married or going through the courts, however you can join the winning "Tate" family by making the right choice. So come on and join the winning "Tate" family. They're nice folks to be around. They get things done. Take that step, and I'll see you at the top!

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar's free e-mail newsletter through info@zigziglar.com.

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