Riding the Subway
Recently, while taking the subway in New York, I noticed that the early afternoon Wall Street train, which would normally be nearly empty, was instead packed. The riders were in business attire, many carrying boxes – boxes full of personal items, coffee mugs, house plants, framed certificates and pictures of their children. It turned out that I was in a car full of the first wave of 55,000 people laid off by Citibank. Folks who all had to go home and explain to their wives, husbands, children, or landlord that they had lost their jobs.
I had a conversation with one gentleman and shared with him that, yes he had lost his job, but he had not lost his skills, talent or expertise and that it was time to create opportunities where those skills, talent and expertise were transferable. Time to re-access our values. For too many of us, who we are has become defined by what we do. But sometimes we’re asked not to do what we’ve been doing any more. Time to separate what we do from what we are. Time to separate what we possess from what we have (our health, talent, children). Time to return from exile – as Dr. Angelou recently shared with me, for too long, too many of us have been living in exile.
Anyway, this experience inspired a little video we made to promote my new book, Start Where You Are, which is all about pragmatic strategies for dealing with those times in life when we have the rug pulled out from under us – or didn’t have a rug under us to start with!
7 Comments
I just want to thank you Mr. Gardner for being so inspiring! God bless you!
I am watching your movie in my personal finance class. I have never heard of you before so I looked you up, and I am stunned how you became what you are today from what you started with. I have a goal in life too, and your story has inspired me to make it really come true!
I was reading the May issue of Essence magazine and saw that you have a new book coming out “Start Where You Are”. Just the title caught my attention. I am a single parent 38 years old and my son is 16 years old I’ve had a difficult time raising him on my own. Recently I realized how I’ve given so much of myself to my son, job and others. I am pursuing a career as a nurse but also have other aspirations as well, but sometimes I feel like it’s too late for me because I should have been pursing my career when I was younger. So when I read the title of your new book I instantly felt relieved and I can’t to purchase and read it. I keep telling myself life is not over and I shouldn’t settle because I still have more living to do. Thank you so much I know your book will give me the inspiration I need to continue working towards my goals.
Hi Chris,
YOur testimony and encouragement it remarkable. I only have one concern. You are very wealthy and you possess an enormous amount of wisdom but I watched the interview that you did for 20/20 and I was saddened. It seems that you have all of these things but their are some wounds in your life that need and can be healed. Things that you have gone through were rough but I know that God has graced you to go through them and it is only by the power of God that you can look back over these unfortunate events and feel, peace, love and forgiveness for where you have been. It is only through forgiveness and love that God recieves us and it is only through His healing grace that will give you the peace and freedom completely within. Love and blessings and I will be praying for you!
Lucina Allen
I was fortunate to pick up your new book “Start Where you Are” last week. I usually read quickly, but I’m traveling slowly through your pages. Your wise and authentic lessons are really helping me get through each day. Thank you, Mr. Gardner. This week I stopped blaming everyone else for my problems, and started working on accepting where I am. I look forward to, with God’s help, to drive myself back on top. Thank you!
Thank you Mr. Gardner. You are a living, shining example of what can happen when you Start Where You Are. I think the best direction I’ve ever gotten came from your book, Start Where You Are where on page 29 you say “It’s up to me and to you to empower ourselves enough to find whatever it is within our current situation that we control, no matter how small it may be—and start there.” It doesn’t get any simpler—Love that!
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