Picture this...

You have to make a work trip; not so exited because it is literally working lunches, a very cold weather for this caribbean sun lover, and a four hour wait for your connecting flight.

Your boss's assistant has booked so many trips for the company that she actually manages to bump you up to first class... "This might actually be a pleasant flight" (you think to yourself)

There you are sitting in first class zipping on a mimosa when this very old, very poorly dressed guy sits right next to you...

"Oh GREAT"... how on earth can this man be allowed dressed like that in first class.

He was sweaty, wearing very old very torn knee long jeans, a black t-shirt that wa almost gray, and some very old very dirty pair of tennis shoes.

He was very nice and would not shut up... he did not get that I was not interested in talking to him, but manners kicked in (I blame my mom completely!!!) and trying not to be rude I politely listened to what this random old guy had to say.

Ironically enough, after 15 mins I was actually paying attention and enjoying the conversation.

It turned out, this guy actually had a very successful business, he sold it and was enjoying his old age travelling and meeting new people... he loved talking and I enjoyed listening...

So, from this random old guy (I honestly do not remember his name) I learned three valuable lessons that I will never forget.


  1. Save at least one dollar of every paycheck - (You don't know what will happen tomorrow)
  2. Work Smart not Hard - (It's not about busting your a%^ off, it's about getting results and having time to enjoy them)
  3. Life is not fair - (There will always be someone less prepared who got the job, there will always be someone who will not value your effort, and there will always be loss at some point of time... Hey! that's life... and NO it is never fair, but you have to make the best of it)

Incredibly enough one of the most valuable lessons I've learned in life came from a random old guy.

Why write about this now, when this happened two years ago? simple... recent events make you revisit lessons if you did not learn them well at the time.

So I say good bye with this: "Never underestimate the value of others advise and never forget that even though life is not fair, I can assure you, it's worth living!!!"







1 comentarios:

Fantastic story. I love listening to random old guys. They have very rich experiences and great teachings to pass along to us. Thank you for this story. I am already revisiting so many pleasant conversations with random old guys and wise people I know. I can feel my grandpa talking to me right now. ☺ Awesome.

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