Individuals and communities can add more value to themselves by being creative.
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
An entrepreneur wanted to set up a shop for eye lenses in a city. Since most opticians selling eye lenses also have vision-testing facility, he too thought of engaging an Ophthalmologist for the purpose. But the doctor did not find the space adequate enough to have an eye-testing facility. He told the businessman that a shop with such a facility must provide at least 18 feet of distance between the wall mounted with graphic charts and the place where the patient would be seated and read them. The shop he had selected provided only nine feet of distance.
The businessman mulled for some time and came up with a solution. He fixed a large mirror on the wall where the charts were to be mounted and fixed the charts on the opposite wall. He could thus manage to acquire a depth of 18 feet from where the person would be seated. Instead of reading the actual chart, the people wishing to test their visions were now asked to read the image of the charts.
What the creative mind of the businessman achieved has a lesson for all of us. This life does not offer what one desires. Opportunities available may fall short of our requirement or expectation. But we should be creative enough to make the most out of them. One should not be disappointed with what is available. He should think of ways and means as to how to expand the space. If you have little space to build a house, perhaps you can add an extra floor on the small edifice. If you are short on investment, perhaps you can add value to your business by injecting more integrity into your transactions and thereby gain credibility with the customers. If your degree is not fetching you jobs, you can acquire more social graces to be acceptable to your employers. You can deploy wisdom where open competition may not be giving you edge over your rivals. If a community has a share less than what it deserves in the power structure, perhaps it can grow more assertive by developing its economic might. If you belong to a numerical minority, you can forge unity among your ranks to organize your skills and resources more productively. Every small shop can grow big by use of wisdom and strategy.
(Translated from Urdu by Islamic Voice.)
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