Most of the time when we start something we don’t have a good idea where the end is. This is even more evident when most business owners begin their small businesses. We think I want to change the world or want to offer a product that is not being offered by anyone else. We possibly find funding, buy equipment, buy product to sell, and we open our doors. If we guessed right and there is a market we begin selling our product and in time we find ourselves “successful.” Well at least others judge us as successful because we overcame that start up hump. To us though we just keep on keeping on and in some instances we are just making it. We are not really feeling successful. We still are struggling. We are struggling because our success compass is off.
Money is supposed to equal success. If we have the nice home, the nice car, or the nice office aren’t we successful? We have the money to show it, but in reality we have a false sense of success. Well at least I did.
I have owned my own business for over 11 years now. I battled through so many bad years just making it. I did make it though. I made enough to put food on my table and that in reality is what mattered at the time. I however still measured success as not having more money. I wasn’t driven by it, but I was placing my own value in it. I was not valuable because I wan’t making more. My reality, I wasn’t successful because I didn’t have the nice car or the nice house or the nice whatever. I was simply passing through my business making ends meet and at the same time becoming more and more bitter about it.
Why don’t people know my worth was often the question I would ask. I felt powerless and in that question alone is the value. We have to find our success in a different way.
Here is the reality when looked at through a different lens. For the past 11 years I have been privileged to be a part of some of the largest events in the community of Bend. I have put together many videos that have helped raise funds to change peoples lives. I have with assistance of an incredible team built and executed countless videos and events that have been the small ripple. So my value is greater than money.
Here is what I would encourage all of you. Take a moment when you are feeling the lowest, or are not feeling successful and reframe the question to what is it that I value. Success is in that value. Success is so much more intangible than money, Success is the change you make in the world today.
Begin with the end in mind, but start with values instead of success. If you stick to your values you will be successful by nature. Your nature is your legacy.