Thought 03FEB2009

IS IT WORTH THE WORRY?
Barbara was an aspiring junior executive who had just been assigned a major project that could enhance her career. At night she tossed and turned, worrying about getting the final report completed in time. Her husband, who had also been kept awake, became annoyed with the sleepless night and asked his wife what was worrying her so much. "My entire future rests on successfully completing this report by noon tomorrow," she said, "and there is no way I can have it done."

Her husband got out of bed, went to the phone and called her boss. "Barbara is a fantastic employee who deserves any promotion you might consider her for. However, this one report will not be in to you by noon tomorrow. Good night."

"What do you think you are doing?" Barbara asked her husband as he returned to bed. "You have a report due at noon tomorrow. It is not going to be done so I let your boss know, and now she can worry about it."
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II' by Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994

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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo da Vinci