Last week I was in Las Vegas for Alan Weiss’s annual Mentor Summit. Among the benefits is getting together with colleagues from around the world to both network and relax. On Thursday, several of us went to Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant in Caesar’s Palace where the Summit was being held. I’m a fan of Ramsey’s television shows and anxious to dine in one of his restaurants.

Anyone that knows me well knows I’m a burger fanatic. I ordered a bacon cheddar burger (sans bun) on a lettuce wrap with fries. My colleague Hugh, sitting next to me, ordered a lamb burger (that I’d also been eyeing but opted for the former). When the plates came out, a mistake had been made. Not only did Hugh get his order of lamb burger, but they thought I also ordered one, too. It came without bun exactly as ordered, except the wrong burger. As they were about to whisk it away, I stopped them. I told them I wasn’t picky, almost had ordered the lamb burger, and was happy to take it. The “mistake” turned out great for me. The burger was simply delicious. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The wrong gift concealed in the correct wrapping turned out to be the best surprise.

Great gifts will come when and how you least expect them. They may look like what you want or expected from the outside, and may be your second, third (or last) choice, but by being amenable to the change and uncertainty may lead to your improved condition. In other words, face value can oftentimes be a mirage; what’s really to your benefit is rolling the dice on the unknown with the certainty that you will have learned, grown, or become happier becasue of it.

I’m glad I didn’t let that burger get sent back to the kitchen because it’s not what I first wanted. Don’t let yours pass you by either.

Quote of the Week:

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”
~ Milton Berle