I
remember the first time I took a date to a fancy restaurant for dinner. I was twenty years old and had just received
my first credit card. I had no money,
but still wanted to make an impression, so I picked a nice place. At the end of the meal, I took out my credit card
to pay the bill, only to have the waiter quietly inform me that they didn’t
accept credit cards. I was very lucky
that the young lady had cash to pay the bill, and I sure did make an impression!
I
was thrilled when she agreed to go out on a second date and, after some
research, I selected a Chinese restaurant that indeed accepted credit cards. When my dinner arrived, I noticed a beautiful
little red pepper on the side of my plate and popped it into my mouth first
thing. Within moments, I felt my face
flushing and could barely talk. I drank a glass of water just as the waitress
was yelling not to do that. She could
tell what had happened from the brightness in my face, and brought me some
bread to help ease the burning. When I could speak, I asked the waitress what I’d
eaten, and she told me it was a spicy hot Chinese pepper. She said I wasn’t supposed to eat it, and
that it was just there to make the food look good.
Perhaps
dating wasn’t for me. Luckily, that
young woman agreed to marry me a few years later, and we’ve remained married
ever since… maybe because now she gets to choose the restaurants. I’ll never forget how powerful that little
pepper was, and it often reminds me of how little things can have a big impact
in life. Which brings me to this week’s
story…
Anita
was born in a bomb shelter to an immigrant couple who fled their homeland just
before the Second World War. She grew up
in frugal times, and early on, her family barely had enough money to survive. A few years later, her parents opened and
began operating a small café where Anita and her four young siblings worked.
Anita
married at an early age and, following in her parent’s footsteps, she opened a
small restaurant. Things went well for a
time. Then, one day, Anita’s husband
told her about a childhood dream he’d always had: he wanted to ride a horse from Argentina to
New York. Being a caring wife, she
wanted to help him achieve his dream, so they sold their café, and off he went
on his 18-month journey by horse.
Meanwhile,
Anita needed to support herself and her two daughters, so she borrowed a few
thousand dollars and opened a little store to sell natural beauty products to
women. More than just selling products,
though, she hoped to use the store to help raise awareness about social causes
she was passionate about. Anita decorated
her store with posters supporting a variety of environmental and social issues.
Long before the term even existed, Anita
was “environmentally friendly” when few people even knew what that meant. She offered products that were all-natural and
came in refillable and reusable bottles. Many people saw the poor, struggling mother
and doubted that anyone in her shoes could ever make a serious impact on the
world. But Anita persisted.
Her
husband returned from his trip and immediately leant support to help Anita
fulfill her dream. Together, they opened
a second small store and, through word of mouth, their customer base continued
to grow. Within a few years, they started
franchising the business, which continued to expand as interest and demand for
her all-natural, socially-conscious products increased.
Today,
Anita Roddick’s dream is best known as The Body Shop, with over 2,000 stores in
50 countries. Before she passed away,
Anita sold her share of the business for $237 million and donated all of it to
charities that support the causes she so deeply believed in.
One
of my favorite Anita Roddick quotes always reminds me of my experience with that
little red hot Chinese pepper: “If you
think you’re too small to make an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in
the room.” Anita had a point! Each one of us has the power to live our
dreams and make a difference in the world.
The
Live to Give Mindset is about connecting your passion to causes you believe
in. When you do this, you give meaning
to your life. Just remember that it’s
the little things we do with passion and purpose that determine whether we live
a life of success and, even more importantly, a life of significance.
Until
next week…
Live
Your Dreams
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