As I lifted my dumbbells in the gym, a gentleman in the UPS workers’ uniform struck up a conversation. Through our brief engagement, he uncovered that I had just secured admission to the university- where my questionable intention was to study pre-med. He beamed with pride from cheek to cheek, and then he shared a simple analogy that immediately challenged my perspective…
“As you take the next step in your journey, try not to get too comfortable. The inventor of the toilet seat cover is probably sitting in a private jet at the moment.”
I never met him or saw him again. However, that analogy stayed with me throughout college. I tried and failed several times to build something meaningful, something profitable, something simple. That unceasing entrepreneurial itch became a priority over academics. Though it’s only by grace that I was able to balance both.
As I recollect the conversation, I realize these are moments one can never place a price upon. We spend countless hours searching for inspiration, striving for clarity, when more often than not, the wisdom for direction may be embedded in conversations with a total stranger. How we decide to perceive the outcome of our interactions often dictates how our perspectives evolve, how our hearts operate, and how our minds escalate.
At any given moment in the circle of life, we may be aspiring, succeeding, or failing. With wisdom, we understand that these positions are transitory, not statements about our value. When success begins to slip from our fingers — for whatever reason — the response isn’t to grip and claw so hard that we shatter it to pieces. It’s to understand that we must work ourselves back to the aspirational phase. We must get back to first principles and best practices. We must realize that, as Denzel Washington said, If we hang around the barbershop long enough, sooner or later we’re going to get a haircut.