To be Successful, Keep Looking Tanned?

Years ago, when I was a young man desperately trying to change my life and figure out how to get ahead, I read numerous books about successful people. One of the most curious characters I read about was a man by the name of Aristotle Onassis, who, as you may recall, was at one time in a race with Howard Hughes to become the world’s richest man. He as you may also recall the husband of Jacklyn Kennedy, after the assassination of President Kennedy.

His first piece of advice for helping one achieve success was simple: “Keep looking tanned.” Yes, you read that right. The advice from one of the contenders for the world’s richest man had nothing to do with work, investing, or business, but instead, looking tan.

I remember my head spinning when I first read this quote. Now, having several more years of life under my belt (and hopefully more wisdom, too), one of the things I take away from this is that this man who could buy or otherwise acquire nearly anything humanly possible found the most value in his suntan, which didn’t cost a cent.

I like to think I am very ambitious and driven, but I often find myself in a personal struggle with the balance between my ambition and what seems like a futile effort to acquire more wealth, even though, ultimately, I know it is not necessarily those things that bring one happiness.

In the case of Mr. Onassis, he could have easily been a poor but perfectly happy man on a beach somewhere, working on his suntan. Instead, he was driving himself, night and day, to obtain more wealth, but still found the most pleasure in something so simple. And it’s not just Onassis! There are countless examples of others who have worked and driven themselves relentlessly, acquiring more and more wealth, only to find that it was some small thing in life that gave them the most pleasure.

Honestly, I am still not quite sure what to take from Onassis’s advice, but it does remind me just how complex and complicated we humans are. In the meantime, I think I will take Onassis’ advise, and work on getting more sunshine.