You’ve probably had taxi rides where you really just want to quietly process your day, but the driver can’t wait to tell you about his day.  I was in Philadelphia and about to head back to the airport after delivering a workshop for a customer. The hotel was kind enough to schedule a taxi for me. Starting with his 10-minute courtesy call to my room from the driver, I knew this guy was either a customer-service Fred (Fred Factor, by Mark Sanborn) or he was in a hurry. After he greeted my sleepy 4AM face with a bright “Good morning!” I knew he was a Fred. Although his name was actually Amare. He loaded up my bag and we were off.

“Have you heard of Uber?” he asked me. Of course I had! As a business traveler, I’ve used Uber and I love the convenience of it. But since I was sitting in a cab, I couldn’t argue with the assumption in his question.

So what’s next from Amare? Am I about to hear the sad story about how Uber is taking his job away? It’s ruining his profession?  I was quite shocked by what he said next. “What a great invention! If there is a better way to do something, we should find it!”  Now that is a positive mental attitude.  Norman Vincent Peale would be proud.

Amare shared his story, beginning with a journey from Africa over 25 years ago with only $10 in his pocket. He is now a proud US citizen with a career, savings in the bank and a daughter in college. As I listened to how he turned $10 into all that he has today, I picked up three key lessons we can all use to work toward our goals.

1. Invest the time you’ve been given, don’t waste it. Amare didn’t spend his idle time in the cab being idle at all. He invested his time by listening to speakers, thought leaders, and teachers like Tony Robbins and TED talks. With the technology of today, he was able to turn his taxi cab into his classroom. According to Arthur Graesser of the University of Memphis, there is a strong correlation between reading and listening to a book, which means you can learn just as well from both mediums.  If you live in a metropolitan area and drive 12,000 miles in a year, that could be the equivalent of two years of college education in three years by listening to educational audio during your commute.
2. Don’t be afraid to take your next step. After setting his sights on where he wanted to be by the time he was 50, he knew whether or not he was on the right path to get there. He said one of his first jobs was working at the Westin Hotel making almost $15 per hour. After a year in that role, he turned in his two-week notice to his manager’s surprise. The manager asked, “Why would you want to quit?” Amare said, “After one year I have $500 in the bank and I’m living paycheck to paycheck. In twenty years, I can see it will be the same.” He knew he was on a path that would not get him to his goals, so he changed his path, fear or not.
3. Pass the vision and learning on to the next generation. Amare had an 18-year-old daughter attending a university. Not only was he supporting her financially to get a college education, but he was sending her weekly notes of encouragement and links to the amazing teachers he had discovered.

After we arrived at the airport I thanked him for the ride. Then, I thanked God for placing his taxi at my hotel. What a great reminder and early-morning success lesson for me.

By the way, Amare told me I wouldn’t see him next time in Philly because he had already turned in his resignation notice.  It was time for him to take another next step. He passed his Life Insurance certification and was currently studying for his Series 7 to be a General Securities Representative. Go get ‘em Amare. Thanks for the ride and thanks for the motivation.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from an unexpected source?