Friday’s Wealth – 21.12.2012
Decisions. Beliefs. Convictions
This is a thought provoking story I have shared over the years but never on Facebook. It’s about the identical twin sons of an Alcoholic Father.
The story goes that the twins were interviewed hoping for insight as to why they ended up so different, despite their identical genes and their presumably similar environments and upbringing.
First, the alcoholic son told the interviewer “Well, I grew up with an alcoholic father, as you know. Dad would send my brother and I regularly to the shops to buy cigarettes and booze and he didn’t mind us smoking either.Alcohol was in the house all the time. I saw my dad drinking. So I guess it was natural enough that I became an alcoholic, too”. (NATURAL?)
The well-turned-out son who was not an alcoholic ( had become ultra-successful, changed his fortunes by building businesses that support over 100,000 employees and their families) said “Well, I grew up with an alcoholic father too, as you know. Dad would send my brother and I regularly to the shops to buy cigarettes and booze and he didn’t mind us smoking either. What my twin brother said is TRUE and accurate. Alcohol was in the house all the time. I saw my dad drinking, and I saw WHAT IT DID to him and to my family. So I guess it was natural enough that I SWORE I would NEVER be like that, and so I don’t drink!”. (NATURAL ENOUGH? …… Hmmm….)
I was completing a postgrad course in Dispute Resolution when I first read this story over 14 years ago and it is one story I have enjoyed, and have also enjoyed sharing.
Humans have free will. This does not negate the fact that our genes and our environment both can influence who we are and how we behave. But they DO NOT determine who we are and how we behave. [ Only our BELIEFS and CONVICTIONS do]. We choose what to focus on and we make decisions that affect the trajectory of our lives.
Who will you be – someone who follows the trajectory seemingly laid out by your surroundings ( or family ) or someone who focuses on what you desire and chooses to make your own path accordingly?
Friday’s Wealth, as I say, so this is to your wealth ( health, joy, finances & inner peace). As one of my mentors say, somebody may be responsible for where you are but you are RESPONSIBLE for changing it if changes are necessary.
Happy Friday to my FB friends
Martin Dzediku