[The following is from the forthcoming book by Ken West, Ego Wins, used with permission from the publisher, Better Grip Media LLC. Permission is also granted to anyone wishing to forward this post or to repost it in its entirety as long as the author credits and links at the bottom of this excerpt are included in any sharing or reposting.]
Jill, a young woman in her twenties, came into a discount department store seeking a refund for an item she bought thirty-one days ago. She was told by the woman at the customer service desk that goods had to be returned in thirty days or less for a refund. Since the item was bought later than that she could only get a store credit, not a refund.
Jill asked to see the manager. She was directed to Mr. Jones, who was talking with an assistant manager over at the lunch counter. He turned towards Jill as she approached.
“What can I do for you Miss?”
“I want a refund,” she said.
Mr. Jones looked at the receipt that she handed him and shook his head.
“The slippers were bought over thirty days ago,” he said. “We can’t give you a refund.”
“What if I had brought them back yesterday?” asked Jill.
“Then we’d be able to give you a refund, as long as they are in good, unused condition.”
Jill did not back down. In fact, she seemed more determined.
“I can’t use these slippers. I bought them for a gift, but found something better. I want a refund.”
Mr. Jones smiled, “Sorry, it’s store policy… I can’t give you a refund for something bought later than thirty days ago.”
He turned back to his assistant manager who was closely observing the exchange.
Jill stood her ground and didn’t move. Jones turned back towards her, seemingly surprised that she was still there. Jill was ready for him.
“I am not leaving this store until I get a refund for these slippers. I haven’t worn them or even touched them. You can simply put them back out for sale. Now, I want a refund, and I want it now.”
Mr. Jones’ face became flushed. The assistant manager was positive that Jones would explode at any moment. But, something else happened. After looking the young woman in the eye, the manager suddenly backed down. All his years of managing were powerless against someone who was not going to back down—ever.
“OK, I’ll make an exception this time since you’re only one day late in returning these."
He signed his initials on the receipt and told Jill that she could get her refund at the customer service desk.
She thanked him and left. Mr. Jones said nothing to anyone about the episode. The assistant manager had witnessed the only time he could remember when Mr. Jones was defeated. The young woman’s boldness had won.
To be bold means to be forceful and demanding with your life. It means that you expect the best from yourself and from others. To be bold means to demand from yourself the effort needed to achieve your dreams, and from others, rationality and good treatment.
Life itself is boldness in the face of non-living matter. A newborn baby is bold. Living things survive because they are bold, sometimes in a hidden way, sometimes out in the open. Boldness is not flamboyance. Boldness is ego’s backbone. It is your assertiveness towards achieving what you want from life. Boldness has power. When all else fails, boldness in the face of uncertainty will save the day.
To achieve even a modicum of success you must be bold enough to take the forward steps that will lead to success. You need to be bold enough to take the actions that will achieve your goals. You must be bold enough to ignore the naysayers of life. You must be bold enough to go against the prevailing wisdom. You need to be bold enough to stand alone. Nothing less will do. Be bold young (or old) man or woman, be bold.
“To know oneself, one should assert oneself.” —Albert Camus
“I am more and more convinced that our happiness or unhappiness depends more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves.”—Alexander Humboldt
“Who dares wins.” —Motto of the British Special
Air Service regiment from 1942
Questions for Self Reflection:
•How do I react to the word “No”?
•What is the goal of being bolder?
•In what area of my life do I want to be bolder?
Ken West is a former U.S. Army paratrooper and the author of Get What You Want, available worldwide on Amazon.com and other fine online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702. West is a former President of the New England Chapter of the National Speakers Association, and Association of Objectivist Businessmen. If you would like Ken to speak to your business or organization, he can be reached at kenwest@bettergripmedia.com. His forthcoming book, Ego Wins, will be available in the near future: http://egowins.com.
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