Physicist, unseen girl and perception

The physicist ended each workweek with a trip to the corner coffee shop. He always purchased a large coffee and carried it to the next to the last table at the back of the shop. Once seated he would turn around to the empty table at the back of the shop and offer to buy one for a girl who wasn’t there.

The people behind the counter watched this scenario as it repeated itself each week but said nothing.

Then Valentine’s Day came. The physicist made such a tear-jerking plea to the absent girl that one of the guys behind the counter approached him. “It’s really none of my business but we’ve noticed you follow this ritual each week. Certainly, you know no one is sitting at that table.”

“Quantum physics proves empty space is never truly empty,” the intellectual scientist said. “Virtual particles come into existence and vanish all the time. You never know when the proper wave function will collapse, and a girl might suddenly appear there."

The clerk was amazed at the logic. “Dude, that’s interesting but wouldn’t it be better to just ask one of the girls at one of the other tables if you could buy her a coffee? For all you know she might say, ‘yes’.”

The physicist laughed.

Why? To find out, click here.

Sometimes people get so involved in the policies, procedures, and mindset of their jobs they fail to take a step back to look at situations and opportunities from a fresh perspective.

If you have big problem you have been wrestling with or have been in pursuit of an elusive outcome for your business or for yourself pause for a while, wipe the slate clean, and through some fresh ideas on the white board in your mind.

Life Lesson: Some things are easier to believe than others.

About the author:

Rick Weaver has half a century’s experience in leadership development in retailing. He founded Max Impact Corporation, a leadership and business development consultancy company in 2002. His major accomplishments include working himself from stock clerk to director at a Fortune 50 retail chain and building a $40MM+ construction company in under 5 years. Today he works as an Executive Search Consultant with Patrice & Associates matching management talent with the job culture for which they are uniquely wired.