03/22/2021
What is the best advice you've ever received from an unexpected person?
by Luke Bray
I was meeting with the CEO of a large oil company to gain insight on business. I won't disclose his name but I can tell you he had a net worth upwards of 8 figures. I was excited to meet him and drove over 4 hours to Atlanta to catch him before his flight left.
He was very kind, but you could tell that he was stern when he needed to be. Instead of picking a five star restaurant, he chose a small burger joint.
We talked about innovation, marketing, management, accounting, investing, and a few other things.
We got to the end of our lunch and I asked, “is there any one thing that's contributed to the success of your career?”
Being the CEO of a large oil company, I expected him to say something like:
“Work hard”
“Don't take crap from anyone”
“Profit comes first”
But instead, he said:
“Tithe.”
“Tithe?” I asked, a bit surprised.
“Yes, never forget to tithe.”
“Like give to the church?”
“Well, yes that's a form of tithing. But a great way is to give to those less fortunate than you.”
I left our meeting a little confused. I was in the process of starting a business and didn't have much to spare. I thought, “I barely have enough to get by, how am I supposed to give?”
Right at that moment I drove passed a homeless man.
And then it hit me.
No matter where you're at in life, there's always someone doing worse than you.
I immediately drove to Target and purchased supplies to make care packages. I was literally making sandwiches in my car. I put them in bags along with clothes and other items.
I then went around Atlanta handing out these bags to homeless people.
They were just the essentials. Nothing fancy. But from the looks on their faces, you would've thought I had just handed them a gold bar.
I can't explain the feeling you get from giving to those less fortunate, but it's wonderful.
It's something that’s always stuck with me.
And if you dig deep enough, you'll find that every super successful person participates in some form of tithing, whether it be money or simply time.
The reason is not only because you get to help people, but also because it puts you in a state of abundance.
I promise you that for every bit you give, you will get tenfold back.
“Never forget to tithe.”
