Bars or stars?

Felix entered the military service at the young age of 17. He eventually became a Marine officer. When he retired, he started working as a car salesman in a Japanese car dealership in Palo Alto, California. That dealership was ruled and dominated by a Japanese-American salesman whose sales have always been unchallenged. Maybe because he’s really an excellent salesman or maybe because the Japanese community preferred to do business with a Japanese sales person, we really don’t know, but his dominance over the rest of the salesmen remain unchallenged. Until Felix came into the picture that is.

After four months of acclimatizing himself with sales, a world far different from his former job with the Marines as a recruitment officer, Felix dethroned the old Japanese salesman and became the celebrated salesman of that dealership. Then he moved on to another dealership and became a manager.

I’ll never forget what he said when I asked him for his secret to his career success. He said, “I go to the malls and spot young teenagers roaming around with absolutely no direction in life. I convince them to join the Marines to discipline themselves and tap into their own potential, and serve the country. I mean, if I can convince a “loser and a sucker” to give up his life for his country, and to become a person of substance and worth, how difficult is it to sell cars anyway?” I had given a hearty laugh. It made sense – recruiting people for the service and selling cars both involve selling, don’t they?

Felix also explained that being with the Marines, the soldiers are trained in many aspects of business. They complete the sales course of Zig Ziglar, and they’re required to study books authored by the most prominent business gurus in the country. In other words, they’re trained thoroughly. No wonder Felix was good.

That was many years ago. Let’s fast-forward to today.

After 13 years of working in the car dealership, the dealership was sold. That meant Felix will be out soon. The move caught him and everybody else by surprise. His colleague of 13 years couldn’t face the reality of the situation. He threw temper tantrums and expressed his utter frustration, complaining about how he has given all of his 13 good years for the company and now the company was closing. Felix, on the other, said, “Well, every time there is an ending could very well signal a brand new beginning.” He continued working hard, selling more cars and encouraging the rest of the staff to do their best.

The complainer had his entire world collapsing under him, but Felix looked at the horizon, tried to figure out his next move and considered his options. One finds himself imprisoned with the situation and couldn’t move forward. Felix figures there must be a better world and better opportunities out there.

Even during the transition, Felix continued to do his job well, work on weekends and sell more cars. And this is the most surprising thing of them all: Felix approached the old bosses and expressed his gratitude, saying, “I just want to thank you guys for all the goodness you have shown me. Had you not supported me, I would not have gotten to where I am today.”

Most people I know wouldn’t do this. They would whine and whimper, moan and groan about the situation, but not Felix.

Guess what? The new owners of the dealership will not rehire those who have not performed. On top of their firing list will be the guy who couldn’t accept reality. Felix, meanwhile, has received an offer to stay, and he might, but he wants to renegotiate his terms and get a better deal.
Two people in the car dealership have been thrown into the dungeon. One looked up and saw the bars, while Felix looked up and saw the stars. All those years of training are bearing fruit today. Zig Ziglar said, “It’s not your aptitude but your attitude that determines your altitude.”

Felix is my brother-in-law. Every time I spend my family’s holiday vacation with him, I learn something new from him.

Whatever situation you’re in now, learn to look at the stars, not just the bars. But here’s the condition: get yourself trained first, and start with the attitude. For whatever the situation is, God is still in control, isn’t He? Felix believes in this too with all of his heart.

(Spend two inspiring days with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills as he presents Level Up Leadership on Jan. 21-22 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910, or call 632-6310912 or 6310660 for details.)