Some people have plenty of beautiful possessions and activities filling their days, but they get little happiness from them. Some people have money, but they have trouble finding joy in their lives. Imagine a father who wads up a five-dollar bill and throws it at his son saying, “Here, if you need the darn stuff that badly, take it.” He may have money, but he has no style.
It’s not the amount that counts, it’s the style that counts. Mr. Shoaff taught me about lifestyle in those early days, starting with small doses. He said, “Image that you are getting your shoes shined, and the shoeshine boy has done a fabulous job. You have one of the world’s all-time great shines, so you pay him for the shine. Now, you consider from the change in your hand what kind of tip to give him, and the question pops into your mind, ‘Shall I give him one quarter or two quarters for my neat shine?’ If two different amounts for a tip ever come to your mind, always go for the higher amount. Become a two-quarter person.”
I (Jim Rohn) said, “What difference would that make, one quarter or two quarters?” He said, “All the difference in the world. If you say, ‘Well, I’ll just give him one quarter,’ that will affect you for the rest of the day. You will start feeling bad. Sure enough, in the middle of the day, you will look down at your great shoeshine and say, ‘I’ve got to be cheap. One lousy quarter!’ That will affect you profoundly.
“However, if you go for two quarters, you won’t believe the feeling you can buy for another quarter.” That’s motivation–becoming a two-quarter person and learning to get joy from the greater person you are becoming.
* Source: Leading an Inspired Life by Jim Rohn