The Lesson of the Chauffeur.
Do you have a favorite movie? In our house we have many. Some because they are historical and moving, some because they have large monsters battling other large monsters or robots, and some because they are just perfect in their own way.
Maybe they teach a principle, maybe they make us laugh, or maybe, just maybe, they take us to another place and time, giving us a perspective that we otherwise would never have had.
One of these is Sabrina (the Harrison Ford/Julia Ormond version).
It’s a classic love story, of billionaire meets unlikely love interest who has undergone the transformation from an unattractive duckling to a beautiful swan (you know what I mean).
Sure, it’s predictable, but it’s wonderful, and one of the greatest characters is the father of the beautiful swan, a chauffeur known only as Fairchild.
Because the chauffeur is the only one who seems to have his life worked out.
At one point early in the movie, the young Sabrina is narrating her life, and she talks about how her father loves books. He loves to read, in fact so much that he took a job as a chauffeur simply because it would give him more time to read.
He didn’t try to make a billion dollars, and he didn’t set out to change the world, yet he understood more about life than anyone around him.
He simply found what he loved, and lived his life to be able to do that as much as possible.
I’ve watched that movie so many times, often as background while we’re working on something, or cleaning the house, and yet it was only recently that I realized just how profound Fairchild’s life is.
He has found something that makes him happy, and he’s doing it. Not for the attention of others, or for accolades or fame. All he needs to be happy is time, probably a warm blanket, and a really good book.
One of my mentors recently said that ‘waking up in a good mood’ is a great definition of being successful.
Because if you’re happy, then you’re happy. I’ve known people with a lot of money who are sad, unhappy, chasing fulfillment through the next dollar, or the next acquisition, and they never find happiness.
Imagine having worked so hard for so long, and being worth say $5 million dollars, and yet never finding joy, a sense of fulfillment, or the peace that comes from accepting yourself and receiving love from those around you.
I can’t imagine a worse way to live.
And then there are people who don’t have that much in the eyes of the world, and yet they awaken every morning, happy, thankful, grateful and joyful. They go out into the world sharing love and happiness, laughing and smiling along the way.
They’ve found what makes them happy, and they are doing it. Not for the accolades of the world, and not for the money, or the power, or the prestige, or the fame.
They do it, simply because it makes them happy.
If you awoke this morning and you were happy and in a good mood, then congratulations. You’re much further ahead than many people in this world. If you’ve found what makes you happy, and it’s within your own personal morals and ethics, and it’s not hurting anyone else, then you owe it to yourself to do that as much as possible.
Because I honestly believe that the ONLY way we find peace in this world is to become a society that values happiness, kindness, authenticity and genuine humility much more than we value money, or fame, or power or real estate.
Find what makes YOU happy, and do that as hard as you can.
You owe it to yourself, and also to the world.
— Dr. Alan Barnes
@maddrbmusings