A Tremendous Gift

One of my brothers-in-law gave our nephew Jack, who graduated from high school last June, a tremendous gift. Over the summer, he introduced him to over fifty people who had achieved great success in their careers. Each told Jack about themselves, their educational background, their college major if they graduated, and how they arrived at their chosen profession. Individually, they spent an hour or two also answering Jack's questions and asking questions of him. The experience was invaluable to Jack as he met with farmers, insurance agents, investment advisors, doctors and nurses, small business entrepreneurs, executives, bankers, and teachers, to name just a few of the fields he learned about. You get the idea. Each conversation ended with my brother-in-law asking for three pieces of advice each would offer Jack that they believed would help him succeed in whatever field he chose.

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A few of the pieces of advice included:

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·?????? Be careful who you spend time with; they should be pleased with your accomplishments, not jealous.

·?????? Remain active throughout your life, as much for mental well-being as physically.

·?????? Talk to and listen to everyone. Everyone has something to offer. You have no idea what anyone has to offer until you take the time to listen.

·?????? Do business in person.

·?????? Create a network of people you trust for life.

·?????? Never, ever quit.

·?????? Always be open and honest with people.

·?????? Invest early and, often, get in the habit.

·?????? Be a sponge. Never know a stranger.

·?????? Be careful with whom you spend time, as you'll become the medium of the five people you spend the most time with.

·?????? Work hard, play hard, and know the difference.

·?????? To win, you must keep learning; you can only fail if you quit.

?My three were to be a good listener, believe in yourself, and be willing to take risks, but never risk it all.

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The experience was invaluable. Jack learned about professions he would probably try to avoid and gained a perspective of potential roles that sounded personally and financially rewarding. He said about the experience,

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"I am incredibly thankful to have had this opportunity. My uncle and the dozens of people I met provided me with advice I will use for the rest of my life."

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My brother-in-law spent a great deal of time with his nephew, which also was very rewarding for him. The people introduced to Jack were incredibly generous with their time. Each was also very impressed with Jack, and during several of the meetings, Jack received solid job offers once he graduated from college.

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If you have a relative or know someone nearing graduation from high school who could benefit from an experience like this, perhaps you'd consider offering something similar to help them better understand what opportunities exist in their future. There's certainly a time commitment on your part, but the experience would be invaluable to the person you'd give the gift to before they begin their career.

#inspire