A Drive-Through Conversation

Over the weekend after a couple of AAU games, Roman and I ran through the drive-through at Raising Cane’s—Roman has been wanting to try their chicken fingers since it opened earlier this year but the lines have been crazy and Saturday was our lucky day that just happened to have a greater purpose than trying new chicken fingers.

When we pulled up to the employee taking orders he immediately complimented my car and shared it was his goal to have the same car one day. He proceeded to take our order and since there was someone in front of me preventing us from pulling up, we started to talk about where he was going to school, what he was majoring in (originally was going to be programming and business, but he changed to marketing and business because of the rise of AI), and what he thought he might want to do on the other side of college (wasn’t sure yet). 

It was a brief conversation but I really enjoyed his excitement for his future, his ambition, and his energy which was extremely high—I have an eye for talent and after just a brief conversation in a drive-through, I can tell he’s going to go on and do special things. I can’t explain how I know—I just do. Just as I was getting ready to pull forward he brought the car back up and I crept forward slowly to be able to give him some parting advice—advice I wish I could have expanded on.

As I moved forward and he walked with me, I told him to make sure he gives himself options in life, to follow the things in life that excite him, to trust his intuition, and that if the car was meant to be a part of his story, it would be. There isn’t any part of that advice that I want to take back, but I wish I would have had more time to expand upon it to encourage him to make the car (or anything material) the goal. 

I wish I had told him to make the version of his Self sitting in the car the goal.

It’s not about getting the car, it’s about becoming the person living his authentic life that just so happens to have the car. 

If the car is the goal, then success is determined by whether or not he is driving the car in the future. But, if the version of his Self sitting in the car is the goal, then if he decided he wants another car, or maybe doesn’t even want a car because he’s traveling the world, then he has not “failed” because he doesn’t have a specific car. There are so many factors outside of his control that can influence whether or not he is sitting in a specific car in the future. There are far fewer factors that can influence whether or not he becomes the version of his Self who MIGHT be sitting in that car…if the car is meant to be, it’ll be there if he steps into his authentic Self.

I’ve been thinking about him, the conversation, and how I wish I had added that final thought before getting our food and heading home since Saturday. I can’t go back and redo the conversation, but I do have a plan…

I bought 5 books that I am going to bring to Raising Cane’s to give to him (if you’re interested in the books and why, be sure you are getting the Daily Notes via email as I’m going to send out a bonus note with the books only to email subscribers). I wrote a short note to explain a little about each book that I included and why I chose it for him based on our conversation. In that note I end with, “Make the version of your Self sitting in the car your goal, not the car. If you can tap into your inner Self and live your authentic life, if the car is meant to be there, it’ll be there—and I’m sure it will.” 

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC