I stared at the blinking cursor pondering what I should do. It hovered over the send button. The confident part of my personality said: “send it”. The scared part of me said, “don’t do it”. I took a deep breath and wondered which would win. I clicked the button. The message was on its way. No turning back now. It was March 18th, 2018. The day after St. Patricks’s Day. My head hurt from too much Guinness. I met an interesting woman the day before at an Irish Pub and I was trying to connect with her.
I was not in a good place at the time
The first few months of 2018 were rough. I was officially old on my 50th birthday. My old girlfriend and I had parted ways. My dad was facing serious health challenges. My beloved UVA Cavaliers experienced the worst loss in NCAA Men’s basketball tournament history. I called a good friend of mine and told him I was going to a local Irish pub for St. Patrick’s Day and was going to drink Guinness until I felt better. He joined me. We had a fun time and met some new people to include this woman, Kim. I couldn’t get out of my mind. There was something special about her.
Why I wrote this billboard
I read the book Life’s Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard in 2018. It was great for three reasons. First – it was short. I used to devour long books years ago. Not so much nowadays. Second – the main character’s journey resonated with me. He was a guy who needed a second chance at life. Third – the book made me think critically about whether or not I had the courage to make meaningful changes in my life moving forward. I would soon find out.
I decided to take a chance
When I met Kim we did not get much of a chance to talk. Somehow I convinced her to give me her contact info. Kim was smart. She didn’t share her cell phone number. Instead, she handed me one of her business cards. I bet she didn’t expect me to do anything with it. She was wrong. I looked Kim up on LinkedIn and sent her a DM. I thought that she was worth taking a chance. Good news – she agreed to meet for coffee at a Cuban place. I figured the worst case scenario was that we wouldn’t have anything in common and I would at least get a good cup of coffee.
Early signs it might be a good decision
When I arrived at the coffee shop Kim was already there. I was early which meant that she was really early. Definitely was not used to that. Kim looked beautiful. I ordered my drink and approached the table where she was sitting. She smiled and began asking me questions. How old was I? I knew she was younger than me. I let her know that I turned fifty years-old the month before. Next, she asked what day I was born? Odd question. I responded on Ground’s Hog Day. She reached for her purse. Damn – she is leaving already. Guess my age was a problem and I would be drinking my coffee alone. Oh well.
What are the odds?
Kim did not leave. Instead, she pulled out her driver’s license and showed it to me. She was also born on Ground Hog’s Day. Inconceivable. The probability of meeting someone who has the same birthday is 1 in 365. The odds of dating someone with the same birthday are well beyond my math skills. This fact made me pay even more attention to our conversation. Good news – we hit it off right away. Better news – we decided to go on a real date the next day. That one went well, and the next one, and the one after that.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
I am usually lazy and avoid big risks. What Brendon’s book taught me is that I should be more open to taking risks. It would have been easy for me to do nothing with Kim’s business card. Just keep living my life in the same old way. I am so glad that I opened the envelope to see what was inside. Kim was the best surprise of 2018. I was not looking for a girlfriend and she was not searching for a man. Yet, somehow we found each other.
There are no accidental meetings between souls.
Sheila Burke
What about you?
Are you holding life’s golden ticket? Are you brave enough to open the envelope and see what is inside? I want to encourage you to take more chances. Don’t live a scared life as I did for many years. Instead, get out there and see what comes your way.
Open the envelope. See what is inside. It just may contain life’s golden ticket.
Dad