Invaluable lesson from a cab owner on setting goals

“It has been said that success only shows up when determination does. But it must be powered by a non-negotiable decision.”

Some of the most powerful lessons are learnt in the most uncommon circumstances and from the least expected people. I learnt this pretty early on and have always made good friends with the cab drivers every time I travel, especially to new countries or cities. 

They can give you amazing detail of information, be it about the happenings in the country or the latest movie that has hit the theatres.  Somehow, they seem to know it all.

But recent experience really blew my mind off.  A cab driver taught me a million-dollar lesson on retirement goals and expectations.
This happened during a visit to the New York City. 

I had back-to-back meetings around the UN general assembly, meeting many interesting people. When I was done with one such meeting quite late in the night, I booked an Uber and was pleasantly surprised to find that a Jaguar had come to pick me up.

The minute he came in, he asked me if I would like to have hot wet towel or a cold wet towel. Still in surprise, I took the hot wet towel.  He looked at me and said, “Looks like you had a long day, would you like to have some coffee or tea?”   I was zapped and politely refused, when he handed over a bottle of water and said, “You can have this.”

We got into a conversation and I asked him if he owned the car or was employed by someone.  He smiled at me.  He said he owned a large retail store and was quite well to do.  He had seen both success and failure from close quarters in both personal and professional life. 

When he decided to hand over the reins to his children, he thought to himself: “What is the next best thing I can do?” And it did not take him long to jump at this opportunity to drive his Jaguar around. 

After all, nothing in life gave him more joy than meeting and greeting people and that is something he enjoyed the most in all his prime years, which he continues to do now.