A writer on LinkedIn's Spanish Connections group posted the following parable about the current global condition. Fow my Spanish readers here is the original and what follows is my poor attempt at translation (apologies Jérôme!)
Albóndigas con pan
Había una vez una persona que vivía al lado de una carretera donde vendía unas ricas albóndigas con pan. Estaba muy ocupado y por lo tanto no oía radio, no leía los periódicos ni veía la televisión. Alquiló un trozo de terreno, colocó una gran valla y anunció su mercancía gritando a todo pulmón:
"Compren deliciosas albóndigas calientes".
Y la gente se las compraba. Aumentó la adquisición de pan y carne. Compró un terreno más grande para poder ocuparse de su negocio, y trabajó tanto que dispuso que su hijo dejara la Universidad donde estudiaba Ciencias Comerciales a fin de que le ayudara.
Sin embargo, ocurrió algo muy importante; su hijo le dijo: "Viejo, ¿tú no escuchas la radio, ni lees los periódicos...?. Estamos sufriendo una grave crisis!. La situación es realmente mala; peor no podría estar!!".
El padre pensó: "Mi hijo estudia en la Universidad, lee los diarios, ve televisión y escucha la radio. Debe saber mejor que yo lo que está pasando..."
Compró entonces menos pan y menos carne. Sacó la valla anunciadora, dejo el alquiler del terreno con el fin de eliminar los gastos y ya no anunció sus ricas albóndigas con pan. Y las ventas fueron disminuyendo cada día más.
"Tenías razón hijo mío", le dijo al muchacho. "Verdaderamente estamos sufriendo una gran crisis".
MORALEJA
No sigamos hablando de crisis.
Hablemos sólo de hacer buenos negocios, buenos trabajos y buenas tareas.
Si nos programamos para fracasar, fracasaremos.
Si nos mentalizamos para ganar, ganaremos.
Es una simple elección personal.
¿Qué piensa hacer para ser un GANADOR?
English version
Meatballs with bread
There was once a person that lived next to a highway where a stall sold rich meatballs with bread. The vendor was very busy and therefore not listening to radio, or reading the newspapers or watching television much. He had rented a piece of land, placed a great sign on the fence and announced his merchandise shouting at the top of his lungs: "Buy delicious hot meatballs!" and people bought them. Doing so, they enlarged his bread and meat market. Then he bought a larger piece of land to be able to develop his business, and worked so hard that his son left University where he studied Commercial Sciences in order to help him. However, something very important occurred; his son told him: "Old man, ¿you do not listen the radio, nor read the newspapers. ..? We are suffering a serious crisis!. The situation is really bad; it could not be worse!!". The father thought: "My son studies in the University, he reads the newspapers, sees television and listens to the radio. He must know better than I what is happening. ..” So he bought less bread and less meat. He removed the fence sign, abandoned the rent of the land in order to eliminate some expenses and no longer announced his rich meatballs with bread to the world from the top of his lungs. And the sales were indeed diminishing each day. "You were right my son", he told the boy. "Truly we are suffering a great crisis".
MORAL: Do not continue speaking of crisis. We must speak only of good business, good works and good tasks. If we plan for failure, we will fail. If we prepare ourselves mentally to win, we will win. This is a simple personal decision.
What do you think YOU should do to be a WINNER?
