THINKING YOUR WAY TO THE TOP

the middle of a famine in Bangladesh, there lived a University lecturer who taught Economics. Despite the fact that he acquired a Ph.D. from the United States, he was unsatisfied with himself. Whenever he left the walls of the University Campus, he saw around him malnourished people who appeared like skeletons and he felt that the Economics he was teaching were mere theories with no significant difference or impact in the lives of people. In his own words, “so I started trying to find out how people lived in the village next door to the university campus. I wanted to delay or stop the death, even for one single person.” He came in contact with a woman who specialized in making bamboo stools. The woman revealed that she made only two U.S pennies which was extremely meager for her hard work and skill. The woman disclosed to him that since she did not have adequate capital to purchase the bamboo for the stools the trader imposed a condition that she had to sell the stools to him at a price that he decided. Therefore, he decided to go round the village and came up with a list of forty-two such people who had similar need. It all summed up to twenty seven dollars in which he volunteered to borrow these people the money from his pocket with the condition that they can pay him back when they are able to do so without any interest and they can sell their product wherever they can get a good price. A vision to help the poor people evolved in his mind and he decided to approach the manager of the bank branch which was located on the university campus to suggest to him that he lend money to the poor people that he had met in the village. The branch manager retorted, “You are crazy. It is impossible. How could we lend money to poor people? They are not credit worthy. They cannot offer collateral and such a tiny amount is not worth lending.” This unselfish thinking man went to the people who matter in the banking section and they reiterated the same lines. Hence, he offered himself as a guarantor. The bankers warned him that poor people who received the money will never pay it back. But he decided to take a chance. As it turned out the poor people paid him every penny. He went back to the manager with the positive feedback, But he said, “Oh no they’re just fooling you. Soon they will take more money and never pay back”. The man gave the poor people more money and they paid him back. Despite the results that were evident that poor people were reliable, the bankers continued to have a narrow view about them because of the way they had been conditioned to see and treat poor people (they did not value the poor enough to feel they way worth taking a risk for because of selfish thinking). The man replicated his vision in up to one hundred villages yet the bankers were not still convinced but they could not deny the proof because the poor people paid every dime that was loaned to them. Eventually, the man thought within him, “Why am I trying to convince them? I am totally convinced that poor people can take money and pay it back. Why don’t we set up a separate bank? Therefore, he presented a proposal to the government seeking permission to set up a bank. However, it took two years to convince the government. On October 2nd 1983 Grameen Bank popularly known as Bank for the Poor was established and became a pacesetter for the offshoot of Microcredit finance banks that has spread across the world and still counting. Grameen bank lends even to beggars to help them come out of begging and start selling (19,678 beggars have quit begging). Grameen Bank has 2,565 branches. It works in 81,379 villages. Total staff is 22,124 and total amount of loan disbursed since its inception is $11.35 billion in which $10.11 billion has been repaid (over 97 percent recovery rate). The amazing fact is that all loans are interest free with no collateral, no legal instrument, no group guarantee or joint liability. Professor Muhammad Yunus changed his world by engaging in unselfish thinking. Alan Loy McGinnis reveals, “There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being-to help someone succeed”. Unselfish thinking is the gateway to living a fulfilled life-a life dedicated to adding value to the lives of people. You never really succeed until you help other people to succeed. Unselfish thinking opens up frontiers of new opportunities and possibilities and attracts true riches. You can never live in the dumps of life when your mind is centered on meeting the needs of others in whatever way you can. When you are apt to see a need and fill it, it raises you from the dump pile of life to a quality life. Investing in people produces legacy which outlives you, investment in material things produces success which can be wiped out. Unselfish thinking demands a shift of focus from self to others- a shift from self-centered living to people-centered living. It is getting beyond your wants to meet the needs of others. It is realizing that the universe is not centered on you but rather the universe is a space filled with love that unites all humanity as a family and whatever affects one member affects the whole body. Unselfish thinking demands getting out of your comfort zone and exposing yourself to situations where people have needs. It is becoming a go-giver by deciding to become a committed give-thinker. Unselfish thinkers are not attention seekers. They value contribution rather than recognition and they will give of themselves; their gifts and talents; and their resources when they cannot receive anything in return from those they have helped. Go-givers give anonymously-they live to give rather than give to get. Unselfish thinkers are investors in people. They add value to everyone that they have dealings with. They bring the best out of their relationship with people by giving the best into their relationships. They are not self-willed rather they are love-willed. Unselfish thinkers consistently examine their motives because human nature tends to slide towards selfishness if not absolutely controlled and directed. Before, you go into the day, ask yourself “who can I bless today?” and “Do I seek to bless or impress? “Is the choice am about to make self-willed or love-willed?” “Is my motive self-motivated or love-motivated?” Then as you go through the day seek to sincerely answer these questions to always put your motives in check; you will get better and better at practicing unselfish way of thinking. successrecipe2009@gmail.com