181The next time you’re worried about something, ask
yourself, “What small thing can I do right now?” Then
do it. Remember not to ask, “What could I possibly do to
make this whole thing go away?” That question does
not get you into action at all.
Acting on your worries frees you up for other things.
It removes fear and uncertainty from your life and puts
you back in control of creating what you want. Just do it.
86. Run with the thinkers
The president of a major office equipment company
put his problem to me this way: “How do I get the whin-
ers in my company to stop whining and start coming up
with solutions?”
He went on to explain that he had two kinds of
people working for him, the Whiners and the Thinkers.
The Whiners were often very smart and dedicated
employees who worked long, hard hours. But when they
came into the manager’s office, it was almost always to
complain.
“They’re great at finding fault with other managers
and telling me what’s wrong with our systems,” the
president said, “but they are a drain on me because
they’re so negative that I end up trying to make them
feel better. After that, I’m depressed.”
The Thinkers, on the other hand, had a different way
of coming into the office with problems.
“The Thinkers come to me with ideas,” he said. “They
see the same problems that the Whiners see, but they’ve
already thought about possible solutions.”
The Thinkers, in other words, have assumed owner-
ship of the company, and are creating the future of the
company with their thinking. The Whiners have stopped
Run with the thinkers