I Say Writer

A friend recently told me that when he first started working in a restaurant, years ago, that his life was completely changed one night by something the business owner said.

The business was fairly new, and this particular night was a dud: They hadn’t had a customer in over an hour. The wait staff asked if they could shut down early. The owner let some of the staff go home, but refused to close the restaurant.

When the shift ended, the remaining staff finished putting things away, clocked out, and headed for the door. My friend lingered to finish some bar paperwork. But he and the owner wound up talking late into the night.

The owner told him, “I don’t want to lose money. We were down to a skeleton crew tonight, but if people had come in, we were ready.” My friend agreed. And then the owner said, “The hours of operation are listed right on the door. If I don’t believe in this business enough to stay open, especially during those hours, then no one else will, either.”

They were words that my friend took to heart. And though it took a little time, it became a thriving business.

I was told this story about six weeks ago. And not a day has gone by since that I don’t think: “If I don’t believe in myself as a Writer then no one else will, either.” And I make decisions accordingly.

I say writer. But you can fill in the blank with anything you want, anything at all, and make decisions accordingly.