We all want the fast road to success. We believe we have to shoot for success as the primary goal. And why not, if you want to hit something, you have to have something to aim for right? But there are a couple of quotes from some pretty wise men that suggest maybe we should not necessarily aim for success. Check out this quote from Albert Einstein…
“Try, not to become a man of success, but rather, try to become a man of value.”
Here is another great quote from my mentor, Jim Rohn:
“If you want to have more, you have to become more. Success is not something you pursue. What you pursue will elude you; it can be like trying to chase butterflies. Success is something you attract by the person you become.”
Let’s take a look at how this could be true.
“I Won The Lottery”
I know you have heard the stories. People who have won the lottery, hitting the jackpot, winning millions of dollars. Fast forward two or three years and they are filing for bankruptcy. How could this happen? How can you have so much money and then not? Sure, they achieved some form of success by winning the lottery, but they didn’t change who they were or what they knew.
Most people who are well off understand that the lottery is a long shot and your odds of winning are pretty much zero. Those who do play the lottery are looking for a quick way to get rich and believe they are making a good investment. Many of these people are not good money managers, thus if they are lucky enough to win a ton of money, they blow through it quickly because they don’t know how to handle it. They haven’t changed their values or acquired any skills to help them keep money.
Earn A Million Dollars Or Be Given A Million Dollars???
Jim Rohn use to ask if you had a choice of earning a million dollars in a year or be given a million dollars now, which would you choose? He strongly recommends that you choose the opportunity to earn a million dollars in a year. He says that you should choose this option because of the man or woman you would have to become in order to make a million dollars. A person who is given a million dollars doesn’t know how to make it or keep it. A person who earns a million dollars has done that by creating value, both in him or herself, and for others. This person could earn another million dollars because they are now a person of value.
Final Thoughts
It has been said that if you take all the wealth in the world and equally distributed it to everyone, all the money would be back in the rich people’s hands in a matter of a few years. This is because people who are rich are typically people who have acquired skills and created values in themselves worthy of the money. Thus, the money would flow back to them.
You should not shoot for success, as it will elude you. You should look at the qualities of successful people and learn those qualities. Make them a part of who you are. Once you have the qualities and values of a successful person, success will find you. And wherever success is, money follows. Keep this in mind when you are looking to make more money. Don’t ask how you can make more money. Ask yourself what type of person you need to become so success and more money will find you!!!