“Who Do You Think You Are?”

My son was in high school and it was raining hard. I told him that he could leave his bike at home and I would give him a lift instead. Parents were supposed to drop their sons off at the gate at the bottom of a long and winding road that led up the prestigious old boy’s school, but since it was raining so hard I decided to drive him up, anyway. Along the way, we found our passage blocked by a teacher who was walking his dog up the road. He knew we were stuck behind him, but he purposefully meandered slowly along. I honked the horn loudly at him until he got out of the way.

Later that morning, I received a call from my son, telling me that this teacher had berated and humiliated him in front of the class, asking him, “Who does your father think he is?” I drive to the school and demanded o see the teacher. I was told that he was not available without an appointment. I told the secretary that she should tell the teacher that he had two choices; he could meet me in his office in exactly two minutes, or I would drag him out of his classroom. From my demeanor she realized that I was serious. I went and waited for him in his office.

Our one-sided conversation went something like this: “You want to know who I think I am, so I am going to tell you. I am a successful businessman who cares about my son. Now let me tell you who I think YOU are: You are a male teacher, in other words, a man amongst boys, and a boy amongst men. You can’t handle adults, so you prey on vulnerable kids. You will apologize to my son in front of the class within five minutes. If you do not, I will come back and beat you up. That is who I think I am.” (He did the right thing, not out of decency, I’m afraid, but fear - typical of a bully.)

We need to have a well-defined idea of who we are. Our self-image has to be accurate, crystal clear and positive. If you want others to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself. Confidence, courage, and clarity are essential. Standing up for yourself, your team and your loved ones reflects the way you esteem yourself.

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com