Conrad Hilton’s Lessons For A Successful Life

When Conrad Hilton passed away at the grand old age of 91 in 1979, he left behind him a legacy built over six decades. When he started his own business in the year 1919, little did he know that he was going to be known as the Best Innkeeper in the World. With more than 500 hotels spread across 6 continents in the world, Conrad proved that no matter how many lemons life throws at you, you can always make lemonade. From fighting in the First World War, to coming to terms with the loss of his father and family business at the same time, Conrad Hilton has taught us how to live the successful life by following these principles:

1. Find and own your talent

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According to Conrad Hilton, everyone is good at one particular thing. He was good at making money and making things look better than they were. While he may not have had a successful stint at becoming a banker (his life long ambition,) he definitely had a fruitful career when it came to being a hotelier. His talent lay in identifying things which weren’t working and in turning them into gold. Despite facing challenges in terms of financing the deals, he realised his talent and made sure he used it to the best of his abilities! The lesson here? Find what you are good at and no matter what, you will always succeed.

2. No empty space is a waste

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When Conrad bought the Mobley Hotel (his first ever hotel,) he realised a lot could be done to change the way the downtrodden place looked. A lesson he learnt from his father, Conrad realised that in order to create something beautiful, one had to look beyond what met the eye. The first hotel Hilton owned, fit around 40 rooms and when he had a sudden spurt of inspiration, he converted the dining room and fit in another 20 beds into the space. Talk about a stroke of genius! The lesson here? Always go with your gut.

3. Don’t be obsessed with the material world

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Conrad’s family was never a wealthy one. He saw the first signs of wealth when his father sold a gold mine to the tune of $ 110,000 (now worth $ 3 million!) However, saving was not a part of their life formula. This taught him never to be obsessed with the material aspects of life. The lesson here? The more you learn to enjoy the finer moments of life, the more you start letting go and the more you truly start to live.

4. Never cling to the past

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One of Conrad Hilton’s major obsession was to become a barrister. However, life had other plans for him. He kept pushing forward through all the adversities. No matter where life takes you, learn from the lessons of the past. Further, if Conrad’s father had kept mulling over how the family lost their fortune, they would have never really gone beyond the fact that they had to start from scratch all over again. The lesson here? Keep looking at how to get better and life will fall into place.

5. Always have an idol

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One of the most important lessons Conrad learnt early on in life was to never look down on people. Only look down at people when you have to pick them up. Further, Conrad says to always learn from people, no matter what their position or what they do for a living. If Conrad hadn’t been the person he was, a bellboy wouldn’t have loaned him $ 300 when Conrad was going through a bad time! The lesson here? Everyone is an asset. Everyone has something to offer. Keep learning and growing.

6. Stop the worrying

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Nothing good ever comes from worrying. According to Conrad, “Worrying has never solved anything yet. Prayer, thought, action – yes. Just worrying, no!” During the 1930s, when the Great Depression was happening, Conrad thought his business was going to sink. However, it was through sheer grit and determination that the man fought back and hit back hard! The lesson here? Everything happens for a reason. While you may blame the circumstances for your failures, don’t let them affect the rest of your life.

Conrad Hilton lived an inspiring life. Through all the ups and all the downs, the man became famous enough to build an entire industry. Today, the signature white swans on the beds, the mints on the pillows and the bellboys in crisp uniforms are all synonymous with the Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. Leaving behind a legacy, Conrad Hilton proved, no matter what, you can do what you truly want.