Always Do Your Best
Always Do Your Best (And Lesson Learned from a New Orleans Taxi
Driver) By Brook Noel
"Be Impeccable With Your Words" "Don't Take Anything Personally"
"Don't Make Assumptions" "Always Do Your Best" Don Miguel Ruiz,
author of The Four Agreements.
I recently spent a week in New Orleans. I didn't realize that
New Orleans had a lot to teach me during my six-day visit.
While there, Hurricane Dennis became a threat. At the outset,
New Orleans was thought to be in the path of the storm. We were
encouraged to leave our hotel by the staff. After much
deliberation, I decided to stay. Part of the reason for my
extended stay in New Orleans was a "getaway." To go away from my
"getaway" seemed an oxymoron. As the storm became more
predictable, many people from Florida who evacuated at the last
minute came to New Orleans. Our hotel became full of people who
suddenly had an unplanned "getaway." Whether in the lobby or the
restaurant, it was easy to see that everyone was a "bit nervous"
and from that nervousness everyone began to share.
Strangers, whose paths never would have crossed, shared stories.
People shared dreams, ambitions, and regrets. How candid we all
were, and how much we enjoyed one another, when life forced us
to a place where we forgot pretenses. How I wished for a way to
bottle that mood and take it with me.
My best gift however, did not come until the afternoon I left. I
climbed in my taxi to head to the airport (about 20 minutes from
where I was staying). I immediately noticed that the taxi was
well air-conditioned (not an easy feat in the New Orleans
summer) and it smelled like fresh Pecan pie. I have ridden in
taxis throughout the country, and I knew immediately something
about this ride would be very different. Although I had planned
on making a few calls during my ride, my gut thought better of
it and I just relaxed into the comfortable seat.
The driver introduced himself after exchanging niceties with the
doorman. After check my flight was schedule he opted for a
scenic route since I had plenty of time. The fare was a flat
rate so I thought taking the scenic route was a nice gesture. We
began the small talk that sometimes occurs in cabs. I asked him
how long he had been driving, and he said 4 years. I asked him
how we got into the business and he explained that he had led a
successful business career and retired about 6 years prior.
After the trials of the stock market, he decided to look for
something he could do that was flexible. Having always lived in
New Orleans and knowing the city well, the idea of driving
appealed to him. He began to explain his services to me. He
found a niche in providing limo-style service at taxi-prices.
Prior to going to the city clients can contact him and he
arranges airport pickup, waiting by the baggage claim. This
one-man-show will also schedule transport while in town, and
make dinner reservations. His website contains loads of reviews
and recommendations for things to do while in town, where to
eat, and the like--and he updates it regularly trying to visit a
new restaurant each week.
During the ride, he asked about my profession. I explained that
I owned a publishing company and was also an author. He began to
tell me (as often happens when I mention my profession) about a
book he wanted to write. The book would be based on the premise
of "always doing your best" and "going the extra mile" (pun
intended). For that is what he had done, he had taken years of
business training and brought the skills he used to realize
success to what he called "a basic job." Yet, due to that care
and attention, his business was thriving.
When I asked him about his inspiration, he told me a really cool
story. His father had been a bell-hop for his entire life. He
had "hopped bells" until 6 months before his death. His career
spanned the most notorious hotels in New Orleans. In fact, he
was sought after because his attention to detail and his ability
to "go the extra mile" and "always do his best" were
unparalleled. When the driver was young, he used to dread going
back to school. For always in those first weeks of school the
students would have to write a paper about their summer and what
the family did--or talk about the careers of their fathers. The
driver tried to come up with creative ways to say "bell-hop" and
had a hard time doing so, for he didn't want to lie about what
his father did, but oh how jealous he was of those children who
could say "doctor" or "lawyer" or "accountant." It wasn't until
many years later that the driver would realize what a living
such a "basic job" could provide. The family had always lived
comfortably and yearned for nothing. This father had taken a job
that often wouldn't support a family and made it into a career
by always doing his best. When he died, the Presidents of famous
hotel chains would come to his service, all to pay tribute to
the man that is still known in New Orleans as the best bell-hop
of his day.
When we reached the airport, the driver apologized for
monopolizing the conversation, stating he normally was the one
asking all the questions. I told him that I felt honored to hear
his story and I would put it to good use. He gave me a homemade
Pecan Praline to tide me over until I arrived home. I
immediately stored his contact information into my catch all
notebook and knew for certain I would use his services the next
time I visited the city.
The taxi visit reminded me of one of my favorite books of all
time, The Four Agreements. At one point, I gave a copy of this
book to each of my staff as assigned reading. This book breaks
down life into its simplest form, citing four keys to living a
whole life:
* Be Impeccable With Your Words * Don't Take Anything Personally
* Don't Make Assumptions * Always Do Your Best
Those simple phrases can change a life when put into practice on
a daily basis. When I keep these words in the forefront of my
mind, I too go the extra mile in tasks both large and small.
Instead of leaving a laundry load undone, I transfer it to the
dryer. Instead of sending the copy of a letter with a tiny ink
smudge, I print it fresh. Instead of uploading the Challenge
Weekly with 4 new articles at 3:00 AM, I go until 3:15 to get
the fifth article. Instead of telling my daughter "It is too
late to read another story..." I find the voice to read another
couple of pages.
Your Challenge for the Week:
Re-write the above phrases on index cards and post them in a
prominent place. Which of the four speaks the most to you? Try
to practice it daily. Next week, add another. In four weeks you
can begin to incorporate these short life-changing phrases into
your life.