Last night, I was reading, “Delivering Happiness,” which was written by the late CEO of Zappos.com, Tony Hsieh. He appeared to have had an amazing life, albeit sadly abbreviated. Although I haven’t finished the book yet, I was taken by an event that happened when he was graduating from Harvard University.

Knowing Tony’s incredible thirst for anything entrepreneurial, his friends made a bet with him. They bet that in 10 years he would become a millionaire and, if that happened, they would all go on a cruise together and Tony would pay for everyone’s trip. If it didn’t happen, they would all still go on a cruise together, but they would pool together their resources and pay for Tony’s trip. Tony accepted the bet knowing it was a win-win; either way he was going on a trip with his friends in ten years!

Imagine what that kind of bet would do to the mind. Imagine if that bet was given to you. How would your mind behave differently knowing that offer is on the table. The gauntlet has been thrown down. I believe the mind would get to work. It would never stop thinking about that challenge. Maybe we should all start betting with our friends or family—bets that would challenge us to be our best self. It’s just an idea, but I would give it a try if I were you. I’m going to. And if you’re wondering—yes, he became a millionaire and had to pay for all 15 of his friends to go on a cruise to the Bahamas.

With Gratitude,

Beth