WHEN A RICH MAN GIVES YOU HIS FORMULA
Yesterday, by chance, I met an extremely wealthy man. And I got BIG TIME blessed––like, extremely blessed that he’d stop and take the time to share some of his key jewels of wisdom WITH ME.
For sure there’s LOTS of wealth and wealthy people in L.A. — see’um everyday—but most will not stop, talk or fully acknowledge another person’s presence, “authentically.” This one did.
There was something about me that he liked. That was clear. He paused 15 mins of his valuable life, and just GAVE, GAVE, GAVE to me. “Wisdom”, that is. I got the feeling he wanted me to learn how to be RICH too.
He began by telling me the story of his story, saying he started out as a hard laborer, working in the oil fields. He said, in those days, he worked so much he never saw his family, wife, children. Said he was so stressed, drained, and fatigued he’d often vent his frustrations on them during the little time he’d see them. Said he was accruing plenty of money that he could never enjoy. Basically, he explained, he was miserable.
Then, with a huge smile, he began to tell me about his life TODAY. He said he was now divorced from his first wife, and, at the time, decided to give all his money and assets to her. “Just take it!”, he said, re-enacting the moment.
He said he later remarried––a woman with whom he could create true happiness––who is generous, nurturing, fun and cares for him better than he could ever care for himself. He said they’ve been happy for nearly 20 years now.
He told me they’re both currently living semi-retired. She drives for a ride-share company and he drives for a grocery delivery service. He said they both work one week, then take off the next week––together––to go do enjoyable things around the city and elsewhere. He basically explained that they have a ball together and life “just works” now.
Today, he has a second brood of kids and sees them all of the time and makes plenty of positive impact on their lives. He also made it clear that he is constantly working on himself spiritually, trying to generously exhibit the patience with people he feels his God has generously exhibited to him.
He then expressed his thanks to me for helping him carry the heavy cases of water he’d brought for me, and told me that most people don’t show him respect when he’s delivering groceries. He said, often, when he’s delivering groceries to fancy high-rises on Wilshire, or elsewhere, “rich” people seem to look down on him with an extreme sense of entitlement and expectation––like he’s even, in someway, culturally born to serve them––and said (ironically) “these” are the main ones who never tip him.
Feeling briefly dismayed at their treatment of him, he then exclaimed he knows he’ll never be as rich as them––especially at his age now––and that was juuuuust fine. Because he also made it clear that, after experiencing their energy, and their lives, briefly, daily, he’s clear he has something they don’t have and’ll likely never have.
He said (beaming) when he goes home, there might not be lots of money, but there will be a smile waiting to greet him. There will be good food prepared. There will be happy children in the home. There will be a solid friendship with his wife, his play partner, lover and confidant. He said even his socks and underwear drawers will be impeccably arranged due to someone else’s love for him. He seemed to marvel at that fact in particular. —-> But even all of those things were just a bundle of second runner-ups. Most importantly, he continued, and said, when he goes home each day, he looks in the mirror and sees a man (himself) that he honestly loves and respects.
Pupil to pupil, gaze to gaze, he paused for effect...
At that point, a beautiful light seemed to appear in the good brother’s eyes.
He took his time to make it clear to me that he was on his way home to THE TRUEST RICHES OF LIFE––(that not many a man nor woman can boast)––“PEACE OF MIND” and a truly happy life.
I paused.
My pores absorbed the moment, his words, the feeling.
And though he was a man “my senior,” he generously smiled at me and said, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Akil. Call me if you should ever need anything from me.”
He left.
I went inside, toting my remaining bags of groceries.
I opened my grocery delivery app to the section for gratuity.
I increased the tip.
And after speaking in themes of “gratitude, simplicity of living, humility and honor to something higher than self,” I realized that a truly rich man had just given me his formula for a truly rich life.
He was one of those few rich men, who would stop, to acknowledge a person’s presence, authentically.
Chase the right things today people.
