Recently I was given a wonderful opportunity, to have an intimate conversation with a very wealthy man. As a young conversationalist, I was shown grace for which my appreciation could not be understated. The gentleman allowed time for me to think along with him. This was unique as most conversations today are word transactions more than thought transactions.
I had no intention of absorbing and sharing the takeaways from this, but the experience led me to. I did not take notes but simply engaged as I would with an old friend. In reflection, I suppose my soul took the notes for me, as it can do when you truly resonate with “inspiration.” I wanted to share my takeaways from this unique discussion. I only withhold details that would compromise this gentleman’s privacy. He knows my appreciation is great.
My whole life I have admired “greatness”. There is no one definition for what that is, but for me I suppose it means excellence within one’s chosen field of expertise. I believed everyone strived for this in some sense, this conversation changed my view on that. Greatness was clearly not something that this man sought out, he seemed to have effortlessly fallen into it.
That can be misconstrued, as if this man didn’t work very hard for what he’s accomplished. That is as false as can be. By my own definition this man is an incredibly hard worker. He simply didn’t have a specific desire for achieving his “greatness.” I asked him about this, selfishly I hoped that he would guide me toward my own greatness with a roadmap or recommendation. The explanation I was given took time for me to understand.
His patience in helping me understand was as much of a guide as I could hope for. His explanation went something like this: “Success was not something I specifically sought out. When I was younger, I had no idea that my current success was attainable. All that I wanted was to be on the path.” There are many things that this man had which are enviable. These things he talked about as if they were valueless. The things he spoke passionately about were common, attainable by anyone seemingly.
He gave me so much wisdom in a short time but was very supportive of me truly understanding, not simply hearing his ideas. I caught myself trying to memorize his habits at first, I wasn’t relaxed in the conversation until he very selflessly showed vulnerability. Maybe this wasn’t his intention, but he shared personal feelings with me in a way that removed any judgment or assumptions from my mind. It felt as though he was showing weakness, to allow me to release my hyper-awareness of my own weakness.
I am no doubt very fortunate to be in a position to have such conversations. Whatever power graced me with the chance to speak directly with a man like this I am forever indebted to. I learned significantly, much of the learning I can’t verbalize, some of which I don’t understand even though I was given all the puzzle pieces. My fascination became admiration, then became perspicuity. Selfishly I want to share this experience and believe I always will.
Here are some of the takeaways that I truly absorbed from my conversation, take them just as they are. The key thing I learned from this man was that “takeaways” are not transferable, nor are prescriptions, only truth is.
Takeaway 1
The only assets you truly own are your thoughts and your time. Do not waste these assets as they cannot be recreated or recovered. Whatever you do, do not allow anyone to control your thoughts or your time besides yourself.
Takeaway 2
You are constantly in action even inaction is action. Be cautiously aware of the action you take, every input has an output, even if it’s not direct or quick to appear every choice you make will impact you and your future ability to act.
Takeaway 3
Leverage is responsible for all “great” accomplishments. Whatever you are seeking to achieve, it cannot be attained without significant leverage in your favor. There are countless forms of leverage, identifying those at work in your life is critical. Leverage works in both directions, be cautious using leverage.
Takeaway 4
The individual chooses the game, but cannot force the outcome. We all select games in our life to play. We instinctively are seeking to master the games we play, even the games we subconsciously end up in. Select which games you play, the inevitable results of the game for better or worse can always be backwards induced to the initial choice to play the game at all.
Takeaway 5
Understanding is personal. Humans work extraordinarily well in cooperation with each other, but no force or desire can will another person into understanding. The only effective way to share understanding is to have a shared desire and a consistent pursuit of reaffirming that understanding.
To my friend, thank you for sharing your thoughts and time with me. You reminded me that those gifts are what is of true value.
My sincere gratitude,
Dylan
Dylan Sunderland 
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