Page 205 - The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

Chambers was alone, he had his headphones on, and he’s jogging too. My friend
told me that he knew this was it. Now or never. He said, “I was immediately concerned
that I would be interrupting his time to himself and that it would be rude, but I caught myself
hesitating and started counting down 5- 4- 3-…”

He sped up to catch Chambers, tapped him on the shoulder, apologized for
interrupting, and then explained how he had always wanted to personally thank him
for the incredible career he has had at Cisco. The two men stopped jogging and
started to walk through the Embarcadero together.

According to my friend, Chambers was delightful and engaging. They discussed
all kinds of topics: work, life, and even an idea that my friend had related to a
project he was working on. At the end of the talk, Chambers shook his hand,
thanked him for introducing himself, and gave the engineer the name of a senior
person in the organization in charge of innovation. “Use my name and tell him we
spoke and that I wanted you to share your idea with him,” Chambers said.

My new friend was beaming bright enough to light up the room as he told me
the story. “It was the highlight of my career, Mel. And if it hadn’t been for the
#5SecondRule, it never would have happened. I cannot thank you enough.”

And then he added, “Oh, my gosh, I almost forgot; I’m now interviewing for a
job with the man Chambers introduced me to!”

Did he get the job?

I honestly have no idea. A new job isn’t the point of the story. This is a story
about acts of everyday courage and how they build confidence. This singular
experience has the potential to change more than a job. If he continues to use the
Rule to listen to and follow his instincts, it could very well change the trajectory of
what’s possible for his life.