Everything Is Subject to Change by Greg S. Reid
Copyright 2010 by Greg S. Reid
Prindle House Publishing Company
P.O. Box 18761
Jacksonville, FL 32229
www.prindlehouse.com
ISBN 978-0-9829850-0-7
Sherpa Press
8272 Gilman Drive #30
La Jolla, CA 92037
www.sherpapress.com
ISBN 978-0-9829850-0-7
Library of Congress Cataloging Data
All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written permission from the publisher.
e-ISBN: 9780982985014
Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.
Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich:
THREE FEET FROM GOLD
Appreciation
In addition to Scott Hove, Allyn Palacio, Greg Tobin, Twyla Prindle, and Don Green, special thanks and acknowledgment go out to all the leaders and dreamers who make this world a better place. They are always of service!
Introduction
Over the centuries, it is the authors and publishers observation that lessons have best been learned through parables and stories passed along from one generation to the next. This book continues that tradition with a modern-day tale that reinforces the strategies for personal and business success that have stood the test of time.
Throughout these pages, you will be reminded of age-old wisdoms, which may rekindle the entrepreneur spirit that made this nation so great and that lies within you, ready to be shared with the world.
Enjoyand whatever you doKeep smiling!
FROM the look of the crowd filling their carts and lining up at the cash registers, it was apparent that the end of the weekend had arrived. Another Sunday afternoon, and the shoppers were out in droves. Ericksons, the local grocery store, was traditionally where the townsfolk gathered, swapped stories, caught up on local news, and shopped for the upcoming week.
A clean, well-maintained store, it had been family-owned for three generations, and the Ericksons still kept a close eye on the business that had carried their name for more than 50 years.
Tammy Conley, as her badge proudly proclaimed, was something of an anomaly at Ericksons and in this small California town where everyone knew everyone elses business. The single mother of two had dreams for herself and her children but kept those dreams to herself. Because in the past, when she had shared her aspirations, she had clearly sensed that most people would rather not hear about it. For as long as she could remember, she had secretly envisioned running her own clothing business, designing and selling fashionable clothes .. But rarely had she mentioned this aspiration to anyone.
Perhaps thats just the way it is in a small town. Other folks may sincerely care for you, but they also seem to want to keep you on the same track along with them, not ahead, nor behind. Theyre uncomfortable with ambition. Not that they dont want you to succeedthey just dont want to lose you.
So 31-year-old Tammy Conley, a trim redhead with hazel eyes and a nose that turned up prettily and attracted the attention of males in the store and elsewhere, did her job to the best of her ability. And she enjoyed it.
Always effervescent, Tammy invariably greeted her customers with a friendly, Hello, and ended the sale with her patented catch-phrase, Keep smiling! Her own smile was permanent and real, and she carried it with her wherever she went, rain or shine.
The people shopping at Ericksons were willing to wait in Tammys line, even if it took a little longer than others, just so they could enjoy her send-off for the day. Her flaming hair and bright eyes had become familiar to all who passed through Ericksons aisles for the past several years.
Keep smiling, she beamed at another group of customers checking out their weekly groceries.
Thanks, Tammy, we will! The patrons left, seemingly grateful for the emotional boost.
She could not know it, but this day, August 4, would change Tammys life forever. She concentrated on doing a good job with each individual who came to her checkout station.
Hello, Mrs. Walsh! Tammy greeted one of her regular clients. How did the past week treat you?
Very well, my dear, the older woman replied as she held up her purse, ready to pull out the cash for her purchase.
Did you find everything OK?
I found everything in here but a good man, the woman whispered as she leaned in to share her not-so-secret thought with a silent wink. Emma Walsh wore her steel-gray hair stylishly clipped and fashionable glasses.
The two had kept up the same routine for longer than either could remember, at least a couple of years.
Tammy thought about this successful woman whom the locals called Wealthy Walsh. She had made her fortune by launching a business called TeleWorkout that she had then franchised and grown to over 200 branches across the globe.
It was a novel idea, a solid marketing concept that she ran with as far as she couldmuch farther than anyone would have predicted. How had it happened? Like most people, Emma Walsh had wanted to improve her own health, but working out in a gym wasnt an option. Not only did she lack the time, she simply wasnt willing to hang out with others who intimidated her as she did her best to improve her physique.
Who wants to go to a club with a bunch of 20-year-old hard bodies that make me feel even worse about the way I look? she would say. So, she had decided to look at her own problem as an opportunity and started TeleWorkout.
Her business model was simple and brilliant at the same time: Customers paid a monthly fee to join to work out in the comfort of their own home. They simply dialed a central conference-call number, put the phone on the speaker mode, and listened in with hundreds or even thousands of others at the same time as a physical trainer led the session.
What an idea! No travel, no gym, no pressure, no headachesyet, you still got the same results as being in class down the street, and for many, the best part was not having to worry what others thought as you worked out in the privacy of your own home wearing whatever pleased youeven those tattered gym shorts youve held onto since high school.
May I ask you a question, Mrs. Walsh? the checkout clerk said.
Of course, Emma answered. Whats on your mind?
Ive been watching you come through these doors for years now, yet I never asked you how you became so successful. I mean, I know what you did, but the question is, how did you do it?
Great question, Tammy, the entrepreneur said in tone that was congratulatory. I was wondering how long it would take until you got around to asking me that. The truth is Ive wanted to share my little formula for success with you for the longest time.
Why havent you? Tammy inquired.
Because you never asked! Mrs. Walsh responded. You see, everyone says they want to be happy, healthy, and wealthyyet so few actually achieve that balance.
Why is that? Is it difficult?
Heavens, no. Actually, the formula is very simple.
Can you teach me this formula? the clerk inquired as she scanned another item in slow motion in order to keep her client there a bit longer to pick her brain.
Of course, but before I do, you must do something first.
Anything! popped out of Tammys mouth as if she were a contestant on a game show.
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