Wealth of Mind - The Passport Project

I used to only associate the word philanthropy with the act of giving big bucks to charities until this unexpected interaction happened to me not too long ago:

I was chatting with John, the young man at the register at Trader Joe's. I asked him where he was from. He told me he had lived his whole life in Baton Rouge but was thinking of moving when he graduated college. I asked him if he had a passport. He said no. He had never been out of the country.

I don't know where this came from, but I spontaneously said to him, "Tell you what. If you apply for and get a passport, I will pay the passport fee." He put down the chocolate-covered almonds he was scanning and looked at me, a little bewildered. He asked me why I would do that. I said, "I don't know. I guess it's because I love to travel, and I wish I had discovered it when I was younger." A few weeks later, he texted me a picture of his new passport, and I sent him the fee.

The next time I saw John, we had a spirited conversation about where he was thinking about going now that he had his passport. Just the thought of the possibilities had broadened his mental horizons. It was like an invisible fence had been taken down. His change of thinking astounded me. It reinforced the idea that prosperity begins with a state of mind. I call it "Wealth of Mind.”

I can't wait to s journeys when the virus passes. I think I may. I think I may be more excited than he is. I learned a valuable lesson from this young man working at the checkout line. Sometimes it only takes a thoughtful intention to open a new world of life-changing possibilities for both the receiver and the giver.

(Also, I highly recommend the chocolate-covered almonds from Trader Joe's. They can take you on a journey too.)

Fred Dent