The Rose
Lifestyle is style over amount. And style is an art - the
art of living. You can't buy style with money. You can't buy
good taste with money. You can only buy more with money.
Lifestyle is culture - the appreciation of good music,
dance, art, sculpture, literature, plays and the art of
living well. It's a taste for the fine, the unique, the
beautiful.
Lifestyle also means rewarding excellence wherever you find
it by not taking the small things of life for granted. With
Valentine's Day approaching I wanted to illustrate this with
a personal anecdote.
Many years ago my lady friend and I were on a trip to
Carmel, California for some shopping and exploring. On the
way we stopped at a service station. As soon as we parked
our car in front of the pumps, a young man, about eighteen
or nineteen, came bouncing out to the car and with a big
smile said, "Can I help you?"
"Yes," I answered. "A full tank of gas, please." I wasn't
prepared for what followed. In this day and age of
self-service and deteriorating customer treatment, this
young man checked every tire, washed every window - even the
sunroof - singing and whistling the whole time. We couldn't
believe both the quality of service and his upbeat attitude
about his work.
When he brought the bill I said to the young man, "Hey, you
really have taken good care of us. I appreciate it."
He replied, "I really enjoy working. It's fun for me and I
get to meet nice people like you."
This kid was really something!
I said, "We're on our way to Carmel and we want to get some
milkshakes. Can you tell us where we can find the nearest
Baskin-Robbins?"
"Baskin-Robbins is just a few blocks away," he said as he
gave us exact directions. Then he added, "Don't park out
front - park around to the side so your car won't get
sideswiped."
What a kid!
As we got to the ice cream store we ordered milkshakes,
except that instead of two, we ordered three. Then we drove
back to the station. Our young friend dashed out to greet
us. "Hey, I see you got your milkshakes."
"Yes, and this one is for you!"
His mouth fell open. "For me?"
"Sure. With all the fantastic service you gave us, I
couldn't leave you out of the milkshake deal."
"Wow!" was his astonished reply.
As we drove off I could see him in my rear-view mirror just
standing there, grinning from ear to ear.
Now, what did this little act of generosity cost me? Only
about two dollars - you see, it's not the money, it's the
style.
Well, I must have been feeling especially creative that day,
so on our arrival in Carmel I drove directly to a flower
shop. As we walked inside I said to the florist, "I need a
long-stemmed rose for my lady to carry while we go shopping
in Carmel."
The florist, a rather unromantic type, replied, "We sell
them by the dozen."
"I don't need a dozen," I said, "just one."
"Well," he replied haughtily, "if you only want one it will
cost you two dollars."
"Wonderful," I exclaimed. "There's nothing worse than a
cheap rose."
Selecting the rose with some deliberation, I handed it to my
friend. She was so impressed! And the cost? Two dollars.
Just two dollars. A bit later she looked up and said, "Jim,
I must be the only woman in Carmel today carrying a rose."
And I believe she probably was.
Can you imagine the opportunity to create magic with those
around you, and all for the cost of a few dollars, some
imagination and care.
Remember, it is not the amount that matters but the thought
and care that often has the greatest impact upon those you
love.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
jimrohn@jimrohn.com
www.jimrohn.com
This article is by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to www.jimrohn.com and also receive 20-60% off on all audios, books and tapes.