Every Friday night, JC Jobs would go to his favorite watering hole, Huddy’s, and order a steak and two beers. During the week, JC would adhere to a very strict Rich Habit of intermittent fasting which included eating one very healthy meal every day, Monday through Thursday. This Friday night routine represented JC’s reward meal for the week.
As he approached his car, a Hyundai Elantra, another couple was exiting their car, not far from JC.
“Excuse me. Excuse me. Are you JC Jobs?” the woman asked.
“That I am,” JC replied, smiling. JC had grown accustomed to strangers coming up to him over the years.
The woman was beaming a big smile at JC and grabbed her husband’s arm tightly. “We’ve seen you on TV. You’re that famous Rich Habits author, aren’t you?” the woman asked.
“The one and only,” JC smirked back at the woman.
The husband noticed the car JC was driving and seemed very confused.
“Why are you driving a Hyundai Elantra?’ the husband asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be driving a Hyundai Elantra?” JC replied.
JC could see the confused looks, now etched on both faces.
“Well. You’re, well, famous. We heard you sold half a billion books. You must be rich.” the husband said.
“You got me. I am very well off,” JC confessed.
“But if you’re so rich, why aren’t you driving a Mercedes or Lexus or some expensive car?” the man wondered.
JC stopped fiddling around with his keys and turned to the couple, recognizing an opportunity to teach them an important Rich Habits lesson.
“How you spend your money says a lot about your values,” JC said as he casually approached the couple.
“Most people who buy expensive cars do so because they are trying to impress other people. In their distorted value system, they place how others perceive them at the very top of their list of priorities in life. You see, your values are the things that represent your most important priorities. When you make impressing others by what you own, a priority in life, you will spend your money on expensive things, just to impress them. I, on the other hand, place very little value on what other people think of me. I have no desire to impress others by what I own. Why, if I wanted to I could buy every luxury car dealership in all of Monmouth County with the money I have. Instead, I spend my money based on my values. And my values are: number one family, number two my friends, number three my community and number four local charities. And my value system has served me well. You see, when your priorities are right, your life is good. When you priorities are wrong, your life is bad. There’s nothing wrong with owning an expensive car. But do it for the right reason – because you love the way it looks and drives. Don’t buy expensive things because you place a high priority on impressing others. The sad truth is that the very people who would be impressed by the expensive things you own, are not people worth knowing.”
With that, JC gave the couple a salute and walked away. The couple stared at each other, lost in thought.
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About Thomas C. Corley
Been there, done that. Buy a high end vehicle and get fifteen minutes of fame . $50,000 purchase and 3 years later it is worth $25,000. Thank you for your daily blog. I am a better man for it.