One day a man was tending his garden, which bordered the
desert in Arizona. Dusk was descending and he heard in the
distance the sound of motorbikes. A gang of Hell's Angels rode
up, attacked him, tied him to the back of one of the bikes, and
drove him into the desert. There they left him barely alive as
night fell. The man survived the night and began to regain
consciousness as the sun appeared above the horizon.
He knew that the sun in the desert means certain death.
Without food, water, or shelter he stood no chance of survival.
Then at his side he noticed a small bush. He crawled underneath
and curled up using the little shade there was to protect himself
from the burning rays of the sun. He felt despair—no one knew
where he was.
Just at that moment he saw a falcon landing on the branch of
the bush. To the man’s amazement the falcon spoke and asked,
“Can I help you?”
Shocked, the man replied, “I am dying of thirst, my mouth
and tongue are swollen. To survive I need water.”
“Look behind you,” said the falcon. “There is a snake. Follow
MODELING 171THOUGHT PROVOKERS1 In what unique ways do you add value to:
❏ Your family?
❏ Your role in your business?
❏ Your friendships?
❏ The community of which you are a part?
❏ Life?
2 Think about the events you have planned for the rest of this week.
Are there any about which you don't feel too confident or happy?
Think of someone you know who could handle these events in the
way you would like to. Step into their shoes and imagine yourself
handling these events as if you were that other person.
3 Which people have been the main influences on the way you are
today? What is it about each one that you have incorporated into
the person you are?
4 Who would you most like to resemble in skill or in style? Is there a
colleague or a friend whose style and skill you admire? Imagine
how you might come to resemble them.