Mr. Van Winkle was tired of his 9-to-5 job, so he told his wife that it was time he launched a new career. After sleeping on it, he decided to become a new home salesperson and enroll in the nearby real estate school.
“After I get my real estate license, I’ll sit around and wait for home buyers to walk in the office door,” he thought. Fortunately, his wife had a government job.
Mr. Van Winkle did get his license and every week for a year he would go to his office, prop his feet up on the desk and lean back in his chair waiting. Usually he’d sink into a deep REM sleep, which was okay with his sales manager as long as he didn’t snore or make demands.
If the other salespeople said anything, Mr. Van Winkle would only smile and say something like, “Well, I told my broker I was going to sell six new homes this week and he said ‘in your dreams.’ Figured it was worth a shot.”
Unfortunately, Mr. Van Winkle’s broker didn’t have a sense of humor, but he did have enough sense to finally fire Mr. Van Winkle who continues to sleep his life away.
The Moral: Don’t go through life half asleep. Every day you will make choices that shape the clay of who you are. You are “this” today, but you will be “that” tomorrow. Every day doors will open … doors will close … and each one you choose influences the life you live. Every day you must make the most of your resources and grab every opportunity. So, stay alert to change and choices. Otherwise, the night will only bring you dreams that you won’t get to keep.
