186 – July 5
“That’s one thing I’ll say for The Beatles, we always honored our agreements. For years, every time we had a record that went to Number One we still had six months’ work already booked at little ballrooms for fifty quid a night when we could have been earning maybe L5,000. But we always honored them.”—George Harrison
Cancellations are a misery. You’ve planned a party but then several people call to cancel at the last minute. Some people don’t even call to explain or apologize, they just don’t show up. Prospective clients fail to arrive for an appointment. The sponsor of the event pulls its support at the eleventh hour.
Violet was a case in point. A business owner, she had enrolled in my workshop because she wanted to grow her business. We had a great conversation about her dreams and goals. She planned to come to the September class and promised to send a deposit.
The deposit didn’t arrive. I called to remind her of the first class and asked about the check. She said she had just gotten busy, but would bring the check with her on the day of the first class. Neither the check nor she showed up.
Violet apologized profusely when I called her the next day. There was a contract dispute that had taken all her time and attention. I told her I would send her the tape recording of the session she missed, and she could catch up with the class the next week. She thanked me and said she would send a check in the meantime.
Of course, the check didn’t arrive. Neither did Violet at class number two. I made sure to go back over the reasons she wanted to take the course when I talked with her the next day. Again, she promised to come to the next class and I sent another tape.
It didn’t surprise me when she missed class three. In the end, I didn’t get the money, just a note canceling her participation until her busy season was over next June.
Cancellations happen because people have difficulty saying “No.” They don’t want to offend you, they don’t want to end the relationship, they don’t want you to argue with them. So they say, “Fine, wonderful, I’ll be there, I promise, you can count on me,” all the while holding on to a reservation in their mind that they might not keep this agreement.
There are people in this world whose word is golden. They tell the truth. They make no excuses. Whatever they say they will, they do. If they don’t want to do something, they will tell you “No.” Collect these people. And be one of them. Keep all your agreements. Because what goes around comes around, and if you don’t want people to cancel on you, don’t cancel on others. Show up.
And if you keep trying to get money out of a tuna—guess who’s a tuna, too?
Today’s Affirmation:
“I keep all my agreements and others keep theirs with me.”
A couple of years ago, I was in Las Vegas for my annual trip to the World Series of Poker. So I take a cab from the Venetian hotel to the Rio and strike up a conversation with the cabbie about poker, Kenny Rogers and his song “Know When to Hold’em”.
I mention I like Country Music and he starts playing some Garth Brooks. We both sing along to “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places” and he searches through some other songs. I see “The Dance” and exclaim, “Oh, I’ve always loved that one!” So he puts the words up and I start singing it when all of a sudden he hands me a microphone! He had a karaoke machine in his cab, and we had our own private Carpool Karaoke! Thanks, Dae Kang – Carpool Karaoke Cabbie!
I posted that on Facebook and so many of my friends chimed in “Leave it to you to make a cab ride part of the adventure” and “You do know how to have fun!” I like having that reputation, hee.
The moral of the story is: Life is full of amazing adventures if you just get out there on the road and mix it up!
