Know anyone that is and has been down on his/her luck?

For a while. For a long while, maybe.

Someone, who, we probably don’t think about when we give away to charity, maybe in the envelope at church or someone, we don’t give a second of thought about when we give our ‘loose change’ to a street beggar as we walk by, flipping those gold coins in to his box.

What if I said that the most intelligent person I ever knew so far told me once that there is no secret to success, no hidden pot of gold.

I was baffled.

I asked him about the proliferation of ‘get rich’ books, seminars, talks etc that has flooded the market and he said that you can learn lessons from them to lower your risks by not repeating their mistakes. However, the very pursuit of success is futile, he said.

I was baffled.

Disputed a lot I had learned to that point in my life, to that point. He then said that if I wanted to find out the secret to success in life, go ask one of the many street beggars out to an expensive lunch and ask him about all the decisions he made in life to that point. Take notes. And then make sure you don’t make those same mistakes.

Thank him for his time.

I did not have to look very far. I found a distant family member, down on his luck. Had been down on his luck for a few decades. Did what my wise old friend said, I took him out to an expensive and tasty lunch. A fulfilling lunch date. Had a great meal.

We can define success in many ways. I don’t know what yours is but this is one way of discovering a plausible pathway to your success in your life. Even if you did not want to take out a ‘down and out’ person to lunch, just try taking someone you respect and admire out to lunch just to enjoy their company. They could be very successful in their respective field. Or not. Even if you don’t think you could gain anything in that experience, take the risk. No risk, no – nothing! Just enjoy that person’s company during lunch and put both ears to the test. You may just learn something. Be as open-minded as you can and try to really listen. Try to frame your mind in to their frame of mind. That little something that you may learn may come at that point or a day later or a month later or may come many years later.

Don’t rush it. Don’t think too much.

I learned a few things on that lunch date. Had a few enlightened ‘moments’. I have found that enlightened moments and the most useful thoughts tend to come to you when you are not thinking. You need to unthink to think. That something may come to you, then. That something just may change your life forever.

That lunch date changed my life, a little. For the better. Hope yours does, too.

Until next time …