Absolutely loved this story-I’ll share it with my management team as we approach the budget retreat and the crazy fiscal situation in California. Thanks for inspiring me to develop and enhance my disclipine!
Debra

I luvv you,
Gail

Gail, told me a very interesting story the other day. Twenty-five years ago she was participating in a group workshop. As the workshop got started, the leaders gave the ground rules for the next five days. One of the ground rules over this time period was: “No side talking during the session.” As the workshop went on, she found herself sitting next to another participant, Henry Conyers, and tried to strike up a conversation with him. He in turn gave her a stern look as to say, “Didn’t you hear the ground rules?”

At the end of the workshop, the organizers asked who had held to all the ground rules. Henry was 1 of 2 people, out of 200, that had. When pushed by the workshop leaders (who in Gail’s opinion were appearing to make Henry wrong for following the rules), Henry was asked if he was anal – did he always do what he was told? Gail said Henry’s response was simple. “It was a requirement and I wanted to make sure I got everything I could out of this workshop. It wasn’t easy for me to pay for the workshop in the first place, and I wasn’t going to cheat myself by not having the discipline to follow directions.” Gail said the entire room of participants, including the workshop leaders, went silent, because they had to recognize that Henry had demonstrated the discipline to hold to the principles outlined at the beginning of the workshop. For Henry, it wasn’t about the rules; it was about the principle of self-discipline.

Such is the excellence of those few among us who will hold for the luvv of holding. Very encouraging in a time of full throttle change.

-eric