A Week of Riches

The first goal I ever set for myself was to never have two years that were exactly the same. I had found it frighteningly boring to spend my time going to jobs in the same place at the same time with the same people.

I wanted to welcome surprises and unexpected delights. Self-employment has made that possible in ways I never dreamed it could at the beginning of this journey.

Although much of my work is done at home, I’m always working on new projects and have found all sorts of ways to mix things up. Even so, the past week managed to surpass some of the others in terms of variety and pure enjoyment.

It began on November 14 when I joined my sisters Nancy and Becky in Santa Barbara for a splendid evening listening to author Alexander McCall Smith.  Not only was he the first speaker I’ve heard talk while wearing a kilt, his extraordinary storytelling skills kept us laughing for ninety minutes.

This was even more special since I’ve spent the past several months reading his 44 Scotland Street series. Obviously, I’m not alone in loving McCall Smith who is stunningly prolific. He also has something like 25,000,000 copies of his books in print.

The next day, my friend Judy Miranda fetched me and we headed to Phoenix for the second Fund Your Life Overseas Conference. Judy has an import business called Global Hand Artisans and is devoted to selling handmade goods she uncovers in places such as Guatemala.

Despite the long drive, it was great fun to catch up with her since we hadn’t seen each other for sometime. In the interim, we had both added some new stamps to our passports so we had many travel tales to share.

On Sunday, the 16th, the conference began and it was 2 1/2 days of non-stop talking and learning. I met old friends and made new ones. I talked to attendees from all over the country.

Equally fun was seeing speakers, some of them already expats, who shared great how-to information on creating portable businesses. I did three talks aimed at helping participants build their entrepreneurial mindset—something that’s as useful as a passport if you want to see the world and get paid at the same time.

We headed back to California on Wednesday morning after stopping for breakfast at the home of Judy’s friends. Judy had lived in Phoenix for many years and loves reconnecting.

As we were sitting at the kitchen table with Sarah and Larry Soller, I was surprised to discover that Larry was also an ex-Minnesotan. Even more intriguing to me was finding out that we were English majors at the same college at the same time.

Larry also was active in theater and spent many years as a college theater professor himself. Although he no longer teaches on a regular basis, Larry is active doing voiceover work and is an enthusiastic volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

The entire week was a glorious reminder that the world is full of people who can enrich our lives—if we take time to find them and pay attention. Or as Caroline Myss reminds us, “We evolve at the rate of the tribe we’re plugged into.”

Rewards for the Genuinely Curious

People who spend their days interacting the with same people over and over again often find it  difficult to open a conversation with anyone they don’t already know.

It’s always surprising, for instance, to watch a seminar room fill up and notice how few people greet their fellow learners. How could you not be curious, I wonder, about others who are about to share a learning adventure with you?

When we don’t reach out to others, we are literally ignoring the largest natural resource that we have—the potential of other humans. We also become less trusting and more cynical.

When we are genuinely curious about others, however, we may find inspiration when we least expect it.

A few years ago, a plumber came to make some repairs in my apartment. As he was fixing my dishwasher, I asked him if he worked exclusively for the property owner.

He spun around and said, “No! I own my own business.” I feared I had insulted him. He opened his jacket and showed me his t-shirt which bore the name and logo of his company as proof.

“So how long have you worked for yourself?” I asked. I expected a brief reply, but what I got was a fascinating story.

Lee had been studying veterinary medicine, he said, when his wife died in a boating accident. Since he had two young children, he found being a full-time student and caring for them too difficult.

When he dropped out of college, a friend, who owned a small apartment building, offered to give them a place to live in exchange for some handyman work. “That was the last apartment I ever lived in,” Lee told me.

He decided to buy a run down house, moved in with his kids, fixed it up and sold it for a nice profit. Then he did it again—and again.

Along the way, he decided to learn about investing and put some of his profits into the stock market. He did very well at that, too. Meanwhile, his plumbing/handyman business grew alongside these other ventures.

“Until two years ago, I didn’t even have a listed telephone number,” he laughed. “My business just kept growing by referrals and word of mouth.”

Then he looked thoughtful. “I guess I could retire, but why should I? I love driving around in my truck with all my tools. And I get to learn new things all the time. That thing I just did to your dishwasher? I’ve never done that before!” He was beaming as he made his confession.

That little conversation with someone who was so obviously joyfully about being self-employed kept me going all day. And I’m willing to bet that my genuine curiosity about Lee’s life made his day better, too.

Learning to be comfortable in the presence of strangers has benefits beyond merely making the day a bit more pleasant: it can have a positive impact on our mental health.

Psychologist Alfred Adler observed, “It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injuries to others.”

Think about that for a moment and I’m guessing you can think of someone who fits Adler’s description.

Being at ease with a wide range of people is a skill worth cultivating. It can lead to opportunities you never imagined and to connections with people who make life richer.

Why wouldn’t you want to reach out when the rewards are so big?