2. Master the Art of Giving.
When I was a young girl, I discovered what seemed a strange human alchemy, a form of white magic. It was my grandmother who first showed it to me.
Shortly after I entered first grade, Sophie announced that she was going to give me an allowance of fifty cents a week – a lot of money in those days. I felt rich when she dropped the first five dimes in my hand.
“Now,” she said. “How much are you going to give away?”
“None of it,” I said.
Sophie reached out and took the 50 cents out of my hand.
“You think about it. Tomorrow we’ll talk again.”
We went through this a few times before I began to understand. Some of the kids in my class came from poor families, which could not afford allowances for their children. My grandmother wanted me to give some of my weekly allowance to them.
After I finally agreed, I decided it might be fun to do it anonymously – and then watch my classmates’ reactions. So that evening I took two of the dimes and sealed them in small envelopes along with a note, signed “From a Friend.”
In the morning, I went to class early and slipped the envelopes inside two of the students’ desks. Then I sat back and waited for them to arrive. The expressions on their faces as they looked around the classroom were worth the price of my whole allowance. The surprise was how much fun it could be to give to other people.
Fortunately, my grandmother also taught me some sound business lessons, and showed me the advantages of saving money. But I’ve never forgotten the looks on the faces of those students – or the lesson it taught me about giving and receiving.
3. Surround Yourself With Teachers.
At age 24, I started my own advertising agency, Wabash Advertising, in Terre Haute, Indiana, with $400. Within a year, we had a million dollars worth of business. One of the reasons for our success was that we hired retirees as advisers. These advisers told me everything I didn’t know, and I listened – and that’s how we grew. I’ve always gravitated toward people who know things I don’t know, who have talents and experiences I don’t have. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate more and more how important this is. My “teachers” keep life stimulating, and an adventure.
