Last month, a relatively unknown state senator from Illinois, Barak Obama, electrified much of the nation with his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Within minutes of his address, many political observers were suggesting that Obama was a rising star and could, one day, be the nation's first African-American president. As commentators discussed his background, I realized that he had attended Harvard Law School at the same time as one of our life coaches, Sean Carter.

I called Sean and asked him if he knew Obama. Sean explained that he did know Obama but that it's unlikely that Obama knew him or could even pick him out of a police lineup. While at law school, the two had crossed paths a number of times but they really didn't have any type of relationship. Sean admitted that if he had known just how far Obama would have risen in politics, he would have found a way to forge some type of relationship.

Ironically, these may be the five most popular words in the English language - "If I had only known --" How many times have you heard someone say, "If I had only known that real estate values would rise so quickly, I would have bought a home sooner" or "If I had only known that computers would be such a hot field, I would have taken a course in college" or "If I had only known that my kid's college education was going to cost so much, I would have started saving sooner."

However, the truth of the matter is that none of us have a crystal ball in life. We simply can't foresee what's going to happen 20 years from now. In fact, in our current fast-paced society, it's often difficult to foresee what's going to happen 20 days from now. This is particularly true with people. You simply can't tell who is going to be a VIP in the future. I'm living proof of this fact.

If you'd known me in high school, it's highly unlikely that you would have predicted that I'd be a multimillionaire by the age of 30. And quite frankly, considering my grades and lack of distinction in sports or the arts, your assumption wouldn't have been unreasonable. After high school, I went through a radical transformation. I also received more than my fair share of good luck in meeting the right people at the right place at the right time. These are things that no person could have predicted. I know that I sure didn't.

Well, the same thing is true with everyone you meet. You never know who is going start a business, write a bestseller, get a promotion or be named president of the local Chamber of Commerce. For this reason, you should hedge your bets by treating everyone like a VIP. And you should do so not because they might one day let you stay in the Lincoln Bedroom or win a no-bid federal contract. You should treat everyone like a VIP because that's exactly what they are - very important people

Each one of us has the potential for greatness. We can accomplish truly remarkable things and often, all we need is a boost of encouragement. We simply need someone who believes in our worth and sees something special in us. In fact, that's how my transformation came about. I ran into a man who saw success in my future when my past had been littered with nothing but failure. I couldn't see it for myself but fortunately, I was able to borrow his vision for me until my life came into focus. You could work a similar miracle in someone else's life with your words of encouragement and praise.

And please understand that when I write "everyone," I mean everyone - the person behind the register at McDonald's, the greeter at Wal-Mart, the new guy in the mailroom at work, you name it. All "big shots" in life start at as "little shots." You never know if the person at the bottom of the totem pole today will be the leader of the tribe tomorrow. So don't take any chances. Give the VIP treatment to everyone.

And by the VIP treatment, I mean to simply act towards them like you would if you met the President of the United States. Putting your political differences aside, you'd probably treat the President much differently than you would treat most people. Upon meeting him, you'd probably give a warm handshake, a friendly smile and full eye contact. You'd probably also find some way to compliment him. And if he asked you to do him a favor, you'd happily agree.

Why not take this same approach with the person from the cleaning service or the cable guy? After all, you might very well be meeting a future senator or governor. Why wait to jump on the bandwagon? Jump on now and get a seat in first class. In fact, your attitude towards them may be just what they need to get jump started. Now, that's making the most of your dash!