One morning in the early 80's I was having breakfast with one of the brightest young professional men I know who has been exceedingly successful. As we talked he showed some boredom with his success. I thought of a phrase that our son had just given me two or three days before so I said to the young professional, "what you would really like to do is move from success to significance." He stopped, took out his pencil and paper, and wrote down that phrase. Later he wrote me a letter saying that it had "re-vectored" his life and now he and his friends are talking about significance rather than just success.
To show you how a thought like that travels and amplifies itself, I was having lunch at Arthur's with a successful Dallas businessman who was not just a non-believer - he was anti-religion. After we had finished our lunch and were talking about business in a normal conversation, we stood to go. I just thought in parting I would tell him about my young friend who wrote down the phrase "from success to significance." When I did he stopped and said, "What is the difference?" I believe I was given this distinction when I said, "success is secular, significance is spiritual." He sat back in his chair and wrote down word for word.
Soon after that I was asked to speak to five thousand distributors of the Amway corporation in Miami at the Fountainbleu and in my talk I remembered the effect of this phrase and so I told them the story. Afterwards a bright coming star in the entertainment field, Mark Lowry, asked me if it would be all right for him to take that phrase and work it into a whole routine which he would like to give people.
Here you have a thought, coming from our son to me, to my friend, then to another friend, then to an audience, and then to a large multitude of people on television and in concerts. That truly demonstrates the gift of a thought.
In my 60 years of speaking I have always tried to create what I call a "handle" for ideas. I regularly run into people who heard me speak 20-30-40 years ago and still remember an idea that they took away. That is exactly what I intend to happen when I speak. In a way, I want to give them the gift of a thought.
As a young man I overcame the destructive habit of worry. I didn't outrun the tendency, but I was able to discipline myself to avoid the practice. In doing this I created a three word phrase that has helped me for a lifetime — "Wait To Worry." When I share my story with people across the country they return thanking me for the three little words that empowered them to change. I feel privileged to have given them the gift of a thought.
For several years, a group of us has had what we call "The 25" in which we swap ideas and thoughts with each other. The variety of ideas as well as the stimulation of this group exemplifies the value of a thought. I am convinced that the gift of a thought can change a life.
