There’s a list of reasons for doing well called “the nitty-gritty”–those little reasons that can really affect your life. Sometimes it doesn’t take much of a goal to start you in a brand-new life direction.
I (Jim Rohn) now carry a few hundred dollars in my money clip at all times. It’s only a few hundred dollars, but the story behind why I do it reveals one of those situations that greatly affected me.
Just before I met Mr. Shoaff, I heard a knock at my door one day. When I opened it, there was a little girl selling Girl Scout cookies. She gave me one of the finest sales presentations I’ve ever heard. A special deal… many varieties to choose from… and only two dollars. With a big smile, she very politely asked me to buy. And I wanted to. But there was one big problem: I didn’t have two dollars. And to this day, I can still clearly remember the pain and the embarrassment. I was a father, I had been to college, I was working, and I didn’t have two dollars.
Since I didn’t want to tell her that, I did what I thought was the next best thing. I lied to her. I said, “I’ve already bought lots of Girl Scout cookies. I’ve still got plenty stacked in the house.” It wasn’t true, but it seemed to get me off the hook for the moment. She said, “That’s wonderful, sir. Thank you very much,” and she went away.
That was the day I said, “I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’ve had it with being broke, and I’ve had it with lying. I’ve had it with being embarrassed over not having any money in my pocket.” I promised myself that day that this would never happen again.
I now carry plenty of money with me, and I do it for two reasons. First, I like the special feeling of security and abundance it gives me. Second, that little Girl Scout may be all grown up now, but I never again want to miss the chance to help another young entrepreneur.
In fact, some years after making this resolution, I happened upon two little girls selling candy right outside of a bank. They were raising money for a girls’ organization. The first little girl walked up to me and said, “Mister, would you like to buy some candy?” I said, “I probably would. What kind is it?” She said, “It’s Almond Roca.” I said, “That’s my favorite. How much is it?” She said, “It’s only two dollars.” How appropriate!
So I said, “How many boxes of that candy do you have?” She said, “I’ve got five.” And to the other little girl standing there, I asked, “How many boxes do you have?” She said, “I’ve got four. “I said, “That’s nine. I’ll take them all.” They said, “Really?” I replied, “Yes. I’ve got some friends, so I’ll pass them around.”
They were so excited. As they put all this candy together, I reached into my pocket and gave them eighteen dollars. Then the first little girl looked up and said, “Mister, you are really something!” How about that! Can you imagine only spending eighteen dollars and having someone look you in the face and say something like that? Now you know why I carry a lot of money! I’m not going to miss those chances anymore. It was a small goal, just a few hundred dollars, but it had a powerfully motivating effect on my life.
* Source: Leading an Inspired Life by Jim Rohn