As a transformational speaker, professor, and high-performance coach, I have been blessed to work with truly remarkable people from around the globe and across multiple industries. I have often been asked to speak on the impact of making the choice between significance versus success.
This is a tough subject to address when speaking to senior leaders that are driven by measuring success according to their ROI. Which brings us to the question, is there a trade-off between the pursuit of meaning/significance and money/success? And if there is a trade-off, can the gap between the two be bridged?
I believe that the answer is yes.
In the pursuit of our passion, we all face the difficult choice of trading significance for success; or should I say, we all weigh trading meaning or purpose for the pursuit of money. We have to ask ourselves, how do I balance the feeling that I get from real accomplishment against the all encompassing drain of “work” that I need to do in order to meet the obligations of my mortgage payment,or my next car note payment?
In a world where success is measured by the amount of wealth we acquire and the level of toys we are able to display, how do we decide between significance and success? The answer is simple, but, you might not want to hear it! Quit chasing after money, and pursue your passion instead!
Don’t confuse money and meaning. Instead, change the perception of your dilemma by investing your financial resources-and even more importantly, your time, effort, energies, heart, relationships, and passion- in the things that celebrate a meaningful life well lived. Until you face this reality, the simple fact is that right here, right now, you will have a trade-off between.
