Tweet

What’s an “RR” Post?

 One of those things we’re experimenting with on BBH is something I’m calling “Rerun” blog posts.

If you don’t know what those are and why I am doing them, then read this: Information Overload And The Invention Of Blog Post “Reruns” And “Marathons”.

This post first appeared on May 2, 2012. 

It was originally titled “The Old Blind Man & The Young Ad Writer“.

——-

The Old Blind Man & The Young Ad Writer

Once an old blind man was sitting at a busy street corner in the middle of rush-hour and begging for money. He had a cardboard sign and an empty tin cup.

On the sign he’d written: “Blind – Please help.”

But no one was giving him any money.  That is until someone special came by.

You see, a young advertising writer walked past the blind man and saw him with his sign and empty cup.  He also saw all the people passing by without giving any money.

And that gave the young man an idea.

The advertising writer took a thick marker from his pocket.  He turned the cardboard sheet over and re-wrote the sign.  He put it back next to the tin cup and then he was gone.

Immediately, things changed.  People began putting money into the tin cup.

After a while, when the cup was overflowing, the blind man couldn’t take it anymore.  He finally asked a stranger to tell him what the sign now said.

The stranger told him,  “Your sign says, ‘It’s a beautiful day. You can see it. I cannot.'”

——————

The moral of the story is that words matter.  

How you describe or frame who you are and what you do changes how people respond to you.

What’s ONE way you can change the way you frame who you are or what you do?

 

Photo by Peter2010

Related article

• STORY: The New Bank President And The Words Of Wisdom From His Predecessor (baybusinesshelp.com)