We'd spent 5 months together, we'd grown close, we'd fought, and we'd learned what the future might hold for each of us. The interns at Athletes Performance had grown to know each others desires in life as well as the things that sent us into a rage. Then, one afternoon, Roy asked us the question, "Who is one person you believe to be successful," and I think each of the interns knew there was something wrong with my answer.
I was first up, and I regretted it as soon as it came out of my mouth, "Bill Gates."
In my mind, I was thinking, "Bill Gates. He's made a fortune, but not necessarily for himself. He gives, and he had to struggle to get to where he is. So yeah, that's why most people say Bill Gates is successful, right?"
However true that may be, it's a terrible reason to justify giving an answer that's not my own, but society's. When I think about what success looks like to me, it certainly isn't Bill Gates. However, because that was my answer, I was forced to step back and reassess where my heart and my intentions are in relation to the things I do and the ways in which I strive toward what I think is success. Am I aiming for recognition? Money? Friends? Or, am I striving toward serving others so they may know a life filled with hope? What has stricken me in working with and meeting people in my long 23 years of life is that so many have given up on hope for their life, their families, or their careers. Success, to me, means helping others understand that hope can be restored, no matter how far south we think our lives have gone.
Roy asked us that question in May and it took losing someone incredibly dear to me last week to finally form that picture of success in my own mind. Louis "Louie" Canelakes became somewhat of a dad to me while I was in Dallas. I stumbled upon a hostessing position for his bar on the weekends and kept the job for three years. Louie's was the place that oftentimes reminded me Dallas wasn't so bad and I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself. Everyone there welcomed me as one of their own. I celebrated birthdays, went on dates, and watched a multitude of Ranger games with my family at Louie's. Every week, no matter how busy he was, Louie made sure to stop, ask how I was, and give me a brief lesson in Greek history. He dropped what he was doing when someone sketchy was trying to hit on me, but we always had a lighthearted laugh about it after the fact. He cared for his dive bar and his family there with a genuine heart, week after week. Even though Louie's is popular, Louie refused to allow his bar to become a money-hungry, run-of-the-mill, cookie cutter establishment. He was true to himself, true to his family, and never wavered from his convictions.
Louie took the time to get to know people and believed in their causes, even if it countered his own. Louie embodied what so many of us lack: faith. Not only did Louie have faith in those around him, he had faith in himself and what he knew he was put on earth to do. When everyone told him he needed to grow or bring in more money, Louie kept his foot down. That's not who he was and that's not how he would be successful. It would have been easy for Louie to search and hire big-name business managers, chefs, and staff who would have promoted his name. However, he had faith in the people and family he brought into Louie's, because he knew as well as anyone they had faith in him. He welcomed big-name customers as well as families living from paycheck to paycheck. When he heard criticism and was told what he was doing was sub-par, his faith in his cause overrode that negativity.
Louie's cause wasn't for money, it wasn't for recognition, it wasn't to gain a hold in the Dallas social scene. Louie wanted to make a place where everyone from every corner of Dallas could meet on an even playing field. He couldn't care less how much money you had or didn't have, he was going to serve you and if you found a place at the bar and wanted to talk, he wanted to listen. Louie lived outside himself, which is apparent in the memories he established within those who knew him.
Don't get me wrong, success manifests itself in various ways, because we all have different purposes. There's nothing wrong with making a lot of money. It's okay for people to know your name. It's even alright if your success puts you in a position of authority. However, when we have those things, those titles, and that recognition for our own gain without regard to others, that is failure. Success doesn't mean being able to do whatever you want, but rather giving up some pleasures or niceties in order to have the opportunity to uplift and better others. Yeah, success is sacrifice, but its done in faith, which reaps a blessing, not only for the successful one, but for those he serves.
We can't take our money, our friends, or our possessions with us when we leave, but we can take our souls. If those souls are filled with kindness, service, faith, and selflessness, Heaven will be filled with a whole lot of love, and that sounds like a great place to be. Lou, thanks for having faith in yourself, and thanks for having faith in me. I thought and still think you're crazy every time you said I was going to be a governor, but I know without a doubt you had faith in my future and that means the world to me. And Roy, I have a different answer now, and it's not Bill Gates.
No comments:
Post a Comment