SHIP 30 FOR 30 SERIES

Why I Give

Your worth is determined not by what you have, but by what you give

In the book The Go-Giver, Bob Burg describes The Law of Value:

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.”

The more successful I become, the more I help others.

There’s a reason. Somebody once did something very special for me.

A chance encounter in my college days led me to a meeting with David Weitzner, the president of worldwide marketing for MCA/Universal.

He made the phone call because he could.

We had a great talk about my goals and aspirations, and what I wanted to do with my life.

Seeing I was in need of a job upon graduation, he called John Landis and got me an interview for my first job.

After he hung up the phone, he said something I will never forget.

“I’ve just done you a favor. And one day, you might find the roles are reversed. You’ll be at the top of your company, and some kid will walk into your office looking for a job. Don’t ever forget what I did for you.”

He made the phone call because he could.

The moment changed my life, not because of the phone call, but because of the reason behind it, a lesson I would take to heart. If I have ever gone out of my way to help somebody simply because I could, it was because of David. I looked up to this man and respected him so much, I wanted to be like him.

And I would never forget what he did for me.

This is an Atomic Essay from the Ship 30 for 30 daily writing challenge.