"Are You Rich?"

Welcome to the Age of choice.

Weekly newsletter about the decisions we make. And how courage is often required to become the person we long to be. (860 words. took me 1 minute 23 seconds to read this)

Dear Andre,

What’s easy for you, that is hard for others? (I’ll unpack this at the end)

I can't believe this happened.

I tried SO hard not to be on this plane.

But two things happened.

• Someone said to me, "Are you Rich?" (I'll get to that at the end.)

• I gave a gift to Sabrina. And I don't mean to toot my own horn but... beep beep.

Okay, here's what happened.

Really quick, I have a marketing agency. Know you need to tell your story through Instagram but don’t know where to start? I can help. Reply “IG” to this email. I only have space for 2 more clients before I’m at maximum Capacity. (more in the P.S.)

I needed to get from Jacksonville, Florida to Tampa, Florida.

Easy enough, right? Wrong.

It's a 3-hour drive. But a 6-hour flight. Do you see the problem now, Andre?

Why fly when you can drive?

Well, I couldn't find any cars that could go one way. Super frustrating.

I almost had a friend who was driving that way.

But then he needed to get his windshield replaced and do work on the way.

More dead ends.

So after failing everything else, I'm on this flight.

And as I'm walking down the aisle, there's an aisle seat pretty near the front. And there's this girl who's sitting at the window seat, and I sense that I'm supposed to sit in this row.

And despite it being only 7 or 10 rows from the front, there's still room for my carry-on to go up top (which is rare by this point).

I introduce myself. My classic line, "I don't think I've met you yet, I'm Daniel."

"I'm Sabrina. Nice to meet you."

I go to throw my headphones on. But the same tug that pushed me to sit there asked me to wait.

Over the next two hours, she told me her story. Here it is.

My name is Sabrina,

You need someone with experience. Someone who can help your kid(s). Someone who can help in your preschool. Someone who can control a classroom. Someone who has the kids begging to come back every single day.

If you’re looking for someone like that...

Look no further.

I’ve worked with kids for almost 8 years. In various roles. As a preschool teacher for 3 years. Then at the YMCA for 3 years. And now I’ve worked for almost 2 years in an interest-based preschool.

There are a lot of people who love kids. But this runs deep for me.

See, since I was 6 years old, I was a teacher.

I would gather my cousins (and stuffed animals too).

They’d sit in front of me.

Teaching them numbers and letters.

Reading them stories and asking them questions.

So if you think this is new to me... it’s not. I’ve been doing this for 17 years. 8 professionally.

So if you’re looking for someone who can control a classroom?

I’m your girl.

If you need someone who can take care of kids?

I’m your girl.

If you need someone to nanny your kids?

I’m your girl.

And I’ll be coming to _______. Soon.

Before I left the plane, I felt prompted to give her $100.

She said she's never accepted anything from anyone before.

It wasn't about the money. It was about my obedience to what I felt God was asking me to give.

The skill of storytelling. The resources because of the skills and the mind He's entrusted me with. The eyes and space in my own life to see and speak life into others.

Andre, this is for you too. You've been given gifts. You have skills, resources, and energy. Use them to build other people up. Because there might just be someone on a plane. Or on a bus ride who needs to hear their story from a fresh perspective.

Andre, here's exactly what I want you to do:

Take inventory of yourself:

What can you do?

Who do you know?

What skills have you learned?

Do you have energy? (That's a scarce resource.)

What can you learn?

How can you use these things to make someone else's life better?

What’s easy for you, that is hard for others?

Okay, now back to the being called rich thing.

I was getting on the plane. The last person to board. This flight attendant looked me straight in the eyes and asked me:

"Are you Rich?"

My mind reeled... (I don't think so... I mean, depends on your definition of rich. Would I be flying Southwest if that were true?) Then I snapped back and realized there was another guy behind me. The pilot. His name was Rich. Sigh.

I then told the flight attendant. We had a great laugh.

P.S. Know you need to tell your story through Instagram but don’t know where to start? I can help. Reply “IG” to this email. I only have space for 2 more clients before I’m at maximum Capacity. (Free 20 minute session)