I had a wonderful conversation with someone in Richmond this past Monday. It was one of those chance meetings where you really connect and just seem to talk for hours and not notice it. We chatted for about three hours on various topics including; business, defining success, influential films, habits of thinking, and even religion. During our time together, he was kind enough to share his personal journey through life with me. This very engaging encounter ended with a thought he gave me as I was getting in my car to drive home…“What makes you feel rich?”
The question was derived from his story about a sales consultant that would ask folks that same question “What makes you feel rich?” One of his students replied, “I need to have $100 in my pocket and a gold ring on my finger.” The consultant responded by saying, “OK, do that! Put $100 in your pocket and buy a gold ring and wear it the next time you are in a sales situation.” The thought behind this was if your sense of self-worth and confidence increases, you won’t feel so desperate for a sale. Consequently, you would be a better listener and be more present during your conversation. The psychology seemed pretty straight forward but I wanted to explore it even more.
On my drive back from Richmond I pondered my own answer. I was also remembering something else my new friend mentioned, “You are always selling something. It could be an idea, a way of doing something, a product, whatever it is; usually as humans, we are always selling something.” I asked myself a similar question; what do I need in order to feel rich? What would make me feel relaxed, happy, and confident so that I could have a better conversation with someone without being distracted on some level? My answer was not what I found to be important – the process of digging deeper into a seemingly easy question was.
Here are the actual questions (I wrote them all down):
- What “is” rich?
- How do I measure it?
- How is it different now than 10 years ago?
- What value do I personally place on it?
- How much value do I place on how others perceive my idea of rich?
- How does knowing all of this help me?
Needless to say, it was an interesting ride home. I found after doing this exercise I was truly more focused and engaged when speaking to people. In addition, not only did I feel more productive I also felt warm, calm and grateful. I decided to ask my wife the same question. After a long pause and a puzzled look she gave me a very similar answer. That spoke volumes as to who we both are and our common values. Later that evening, I was reflecting on the events of the day. As I drifted off to sleep a smile came across my face because I knew I was a very “rich” person indeed.
Because this exercise had such a positive effect on my day, I thought I would share it with you. Maybe you will find a few nuggets of good stuff as well. All you need to do is ask yourself a simple question… “What makes you feel rich?”
