The 1% Club
The 1% Club
A Sixty-Word Short Story: *
Rick worked for a charity and was travelling with a number of colleagues on a European tour. They had limited resources with no options for getting any kind of upgrades on an airline flight. So, when Rick saw his seat assignment being 1-A, he bragged out loud about being in first class, not realizing it was a one class flight.
And more…
As Rick sat in the first row, the group of ministers passed by him and the head pastor, who had been listening to Rick boast about his first-class seat assignment all morning, hesitated where Rick was seated and quoted a bible verse from the Book of Proverbs – “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” I heard the pastor and busted out laughing, we all did. Admittedly, I think because the rest of the group were sitting in the back of the plane, there might have been a little jealously or perhaps a tinge of resentment listening to Rick. The reality, however, was quite vindicating.
I think it’s good when we experience life in a first-class way. We like the attention and the special treatment, and it can make one feel special. A serendipitous corollary to this is when we encounter good luck and find ourselves feeling blessed and fortunate because good things are happening. This is especially powerful when there is no effort expended yet good luck finds you anyway. This was the case this past weekend when my younger brother and his wife came to visit me.
On Friday we booked a whale watching excursion here off the coast of San Clemente, hoping to see some whales. Having been on this trip before, I told them they may not see any whales at all, but it’s very likely we could see a few dolphins. The weather was choppy making it difficult to spot any whale spouts and for over an hour we didn’t even see a single dolphin. Then suddenly the boat lurched forward, and the captain hit the gas. She had spotted a whale and would not let us be disappointed. What we witnessed up close was a Blue Whale, the largest animal on the planet. Their numbers are dwindling worldwide and seeing one in the wild is extremely rare. Only 1% of the world’s population has ever been lucky enough to see one. We did and it was spectacular, and we even got a special badge stating just that. As part of the 1% club, our good fortune continued all weekend.
When we feel gratitude or blessed, I think it sends a signal out to the universe that somehow, we’re ready to receive some good stuff. Beginning with the whale show, we found perfect parking spots, best view-of-the-ocean dinner tables, complimentary food and drinks, and the Trolly and Ubers showed up on demand. To quote actor Walter Brennen from his TV show Will Sonnett, the Fastest Gun in the West – “No brag, just fact.”
The Final Thought: How we see the world is through our own filter of expectations. Our mind’s eye can see what we seek and has the power to bring it into focus.