A few miles off California’s Route 120, in the desert just south of Lodi, lies a little slice of heaven.
Having freshly graduated from college, a buddy and I hurtled from San Francisco toward Yosemite on our epic cross-country trip. Suddenly, a sign jutted up from the desert like a beacon in the night:
Come Visit Mel’s Saloon: 5-Cent Beers for All!
Whoa! Talk about hitting your target market! Twist my rubber arm!
Feeling thirsty and adventurous, we veered off the main road to see it if it was too good to be true. Mel’s Saloon did not disappoint.
We parked outside in the small gravel lot and strolled into paradise. Mel’s Saloon was covered in sawdust but dripping with charm. As we made our way toward the bar, a giant man with a slight limp lumbered toward us.
Meet Mel, Proprietor of Mel’s Saloon
“If you gotta dime, I got two beers for ya”, said Mel with a slight twang and a wide, infectious grin.
We each had two dollars, so we saddled up and settled in. Immediately, Mel started peeling off story after story about his adventures and his patrons. After a few minutes, my buddy finally asked the question that was on my mind since the second I met him.
“How did you end up here in the desert?”
Mel didn’t waste a second. He was an offensive tackle for Grambling before blowing out his knee senior year. After college, he wandered from job to job and settled into a life on the docks in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He was smart, personable, and full of passion. But he was in a dead end job that was below his potential. And he wasn’t leveraging his God-given strengths. One day, Mel had an epiphany:
“If you’re running in place, you might as well run where you wanna run!”
I didn’t think it was possible for a guy serving 5-cent beers to be any more of a hero! Mel knew there was deeper meaning to his life. He refused to settle and accept a life that was below his potential. He was not afraid to take a major risk and bet on the power of his own personality. His gamble paid off. His smile said it all. And that is a great lesson for all of us.
Hard Work Doesn’t Have To Be Miserable
We all have to work hard. We all have a job to do. We all have to take care of ourselves and our families. But we don’t have to be miserable in our pursuit of security! True satisfaction comes from maximizing our strengths and following our passion. Money is important but it doesn’t need to be our primary motivation. If we stay true to ourselves, the money will come. If our talents make our corner of the world a little bit better, the satisfaction will come.
It’s Never Too Late to Get Your Mojo Back
Sometimes, we choose a profession for convenience and never stop to look around. Years go by, and we suddenly discover we have hit a dead end path:
Am I taking advantage of my talents? Can others sense my enthusiasm? Is there something else I can offer this world?
We’ve all been there. But here is the good news: It’s never too late to get your mojo back! You control your path. You control your fate. You may not haveto give up everything and move to the desert. Sometimes, a slight tweak in approach is all it takes. But you do need to find your motivation. You do need to focus on your strengths. You do need to have a plan.
And if things aren’t going your way, don’t be afraid to make a change. If you’re running in place, you might as well run where you wanna run!
Resilience Is Not Easy
It’s not easy to stay resilient. Resilience takes courage. Resilience takes confidence. Resilience takes self-awareness. It is much easier to accept our fate and spin blindly down the path.
We Have To Maximize Our Potential
But the easy option is not always the best option. There are times when we can’t be afraid to jump out the window without a parachute. We have to trust in our ability to soar. And if we don’t, we have to trust that our friends and family will provide a soft landing. We only get one shot at this life. We deserve the opportunity to become the person we always knew we could be!
Find Your Inner Mel
Mel could have spent his life hauling boxes on the docks of Pascagoula. And that would have been okay if he was maximizing his potential. But Mel had so much more to offer this world. He was a dynamic storyteller with a magnetic personality. He had wisdom and a simple but powerful philosophy. He had the ability to make his corner of the world just a little bit better. Serving 5-cent beers in the desert is not for everyone. But it was the perfect life for Mel!
What is the perfect life for you? What is your passion? What gets you fired up during the course of your day? That is where you need to focus.
You deserve happiness and success in this world. And if you’re running in place, you might as well run where you wanna run!
Until next week, keep smiling!