Narrator: What if you achieved everything you ever wanted—unimaginable wealth, worldwide fame, and a reputation as the greatest at your craft—only to find yourself utterly miserable? This is the paradox facing a man named Hafid. After a legendary career, he retires to a palace of breathtaking opulence, a monument to his success. Yet, he finds no joy there. Consumed by grief and isolated by his own wealth, he discovers that the peak of achievement can be a lonely and desolate place. His story forces a profound question: what is the true meaning of success, and what comes after the chase is over?

This journey into the heart of purpose is the central theme of Og Mandino’s classic, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Part II: The End of the Story. The book picks up where the first left off, not to offer more sales techniques, but to explore the deeper quest for a life of meaning, revealing that our greatest legacy is often forged by actions we’ve long forgotten.

Narrator: The story begins with Hafid, the titular "greatest salesman," lost in a gilded cage of his own making. Years into his retirement, his immense fortune brings him no comfort. He is haunted by the death of his beloved wife, Lisha, and his days are spent in a ritual of mourning at her tomb, trapped by what he later calls "the most terrible of diseases"—self-pity. He has, in his own words, divorced himself from all humanity.

This desolate routine is shattered by a vivid dream. In it, Lisha walks with him through the streets of Damascus, pointing out the suffering of the people—the hungry, the sick, the lost. She urges him to stop ignoring them and tells him that a stranger will soon arrive with a key to his future. Waking with a renewed sense of purpose, Hafid declares to his faithful bookkeeper, Erasmus, "Enough! It is time for change!" Just as he says this, Erasmus informs him that a stranger named Galenus has arrived and is waiting. Believing this is the man from his dream, Hafid eagerly agrees to meet him, telling Erasmus, "One must never keep a dream waiting." Galenus, a promoter, proposes a new career for Hafid: a public speaker, sharing his wisdom across the land. This proposition becomes the unexpected key that unlocks the next chapter of his life.

Narrator: Hafid’s new career as an orator begins disastrously. The man who could sell anything to anyone now struggles to connect with an audience. His speeches are technically sound but lack heart, leaving crowds polite but unmoved. Discouraged, he travels from town to town, his confidence waning. The turning point comes in Nazareth, where an old friend, the Roman governor Sergius Paulus, attends one of his lackluster speeches.

Afterward, Sergius makes a startling revelation. He explains that his own conversion to the teachings of Jesus was at the hands of the apostle Paul. And, he adds, Paul himself had been trained in the art of persuasion by none other than Hafid. This news stuns Hafid, but the biggest shock is yet to come. Sergius reveals that Paul carried with him a simple, seamless red robe—the very same robe Hafid, as a poor, young camel boy sixty years earlier, had been tasked with selling in Bethlehem. In a moment of profound compassion, the young Hafid had given the robe away to keep a newborn infant warm in a cold stable. That infant was Jesus. That single, selfless act of kindness, which he thought was a failure, was the event that prompted his master to give him the ten scrolls of success, launching his legendary career. Hafid learns that his entire life, his success, and even his indirect influence on the spread of Christianity, all stemmed from one forgotten moment of generosity.

Narrator: The revelations continue as Sergius takes Hafid to meet Mary, the mother of Jesus. The elderly woman’s eyes light up with recognition. She remembers him not as a great salesman, but as the "little angel on a donkey" who wrapped her newborn son in a warm red robe so many years ago. "You did thank me," Hafid tells her, his voice thick with emotion. "You kissed me then, as you did now, and my life changed that night."

In a powerful exchange, Mary shares that Jesus wore that red robe often, especially before speaking to large crowds, as it gave him confidence. She then presents the robe back to Hafid, insisting it has returned to its rightful owner and will do the same for him. This moment, combined with advice from Sergius, transforms Hafid’s mission. Sergius urges him to stop delivering generic speeches and instead tell his own story—his humble beginnings, his struggles, and his principles for success. By sharing his vulnerability, he could truly connect with and inspire others. Armed with Jesus's robe and a new, authentic message, Hafid’s speaking career is reborn.

Narrator: Hafid’s "Success Caravan" becomes a phenomenon, drawing massive crowds across the Roman Empire. He no longer charges admission, wanting his message of hope to reach those who need it most. His journey eventually leads him to Rome, where his triumph is overshadowed by somber news. He learns that his old friend, Paul of Tarsus, has been imprisoned by Nero and is facing execution.

Hafid visits Paul in his dark, rat-infested cell. The two men, whose lives were unknowingly intertwined by a red robe and a set of scrolls, reflect on their shared mission. Paul sees their work as two sides of the same coin. "We are both fighting to rescue people from hell," Paul says. "The hell you are trying to save them from is here… and now. The hell I want to protect them from is tomorrow… and forever." Before they part, Paul makes a final, urgent request. He implores Hafid to write down his principles for success, to create a new set of scrolls so his wisdom would not be entombed with him. As a final act of friendship, Hafid leaves Paul the red robe to keep him warm. After Paul’s execution, Hafid knows his speaking career is over. He has a new, final purpose: to create a lasting legacy in writing.

Narrator: Hafid retreats to a secluded home on Mount Hermon to fulfill his promise to Paul. There, he transcribes his life’s wisdom into a new set of ten scrolls, each containing a "vow of success." These vows are not business tactics but profound principles for living a good life. They represent the core teachings Hafid wishes to leave for humanity.

The first vow is a declaration against the poison of self-pity: "Never again will I pity or belittle myself." The second vow is a commitment to purposeful action: "Never again will I greet the dawn without a map," a promise to set daily goals. Other vows champion the power of enthusiasm, the importance of kindness, and the necessity of hard work. One of the most powerful vows is a guide for resilience: "Always will I seek the seed of triumph in every adversity." Hafid recognizes that failure is not just an obstacle but a teacher, and that every setback contains a lesson for future growth. Together, these vows form a complete philosophy for achieving not just material success, but a life of fulfillment, character, and peace.

Narrator: Months later, Erasmus and Galenus grow worried, having not heard from Hafid. Their concern is amplified when a single, perfect red rose mysteriously blooms on Lisha’s white rosebush—a sign they cannot ignore. They rush to Mount Hermon, where they find the small house quiet. Inside, they discover a wooden chest containing ten perfectly written scrolls. Hafid had completed his final task.

They find his body outside, resting peacefully against a large boulder, looking out over the valley. Erasmus weeps, lamenting that his friend died alone. But Galenus gently corrects him. "Dry your tears, old bookkeeper," he says, pointing to the worn, red fabric draped over Hafid’s shoulders. "Your master did not die alone." Hafid, the greatest salesman in the world, had finished his story, his legacy secure, wrapped in the very symbol of the kindness that started it all.

Narrator: The ultimate message of The Greatest Salesman in the World, Part II is that the true measure of a life is not in what is acquired, but in what is given. Hafid’s greatest success was not his wealth or his fame, but the unforeseen, multi-generational impact of a single, selfless act of compassion performed when he was a boy. His story is a powerful testament to the idea that our most profound legacy is often built on the kindness we show when no one is watching.

The book leaves us with a challenging reflection: our lives are a series of causes and effects, and the smallest positive action can ripple outward in ways we may never fully comprehend. It asks us to consider not just what we want to achieve, but what we are meant to contribute. What simple act of kindness can you perform today, and what incredible story might it set in motion for generations to come?