Today I met a guy for coffee—a former freelance client from eight years ago. I remembered him as a slightly cocky, very driven entrepreneurial type. Nice guy, but with a definite edge. We hadn’t stayed in touch.

I was surprised to hear from him through LinkedIn last week, but I gladly accepted his invitation to connect. Next thing I knew, I was meeting him for coffee and helping him with his résumé.

The past few years have been tough on him. His business failed. He lost two homes.

But there he sat across from me, smiling and full of hope. He told me a story about his son’s unexpected kindness toward a developmentally disabled man. He told me about his daughters’ academic excellence, his wife, his dogs, and his new job.

He was a completely changed man.

Gone were the cockiness and his get-rich-quick dreams. Humbled by life, this man had become eminently human. He was full of wisdom and self-awareness and reflection.

Sometimes, bad situations really can change people for the better.