Success or Significance (Are you adding value to yourself or to others?)

Hello Everyone.


Here is an excerpt from a Success magazine article by John C Maxwell. He makes some good points in regards to Success vs Significance. Being in a service/sales industry I thought I would share some of it with you.


"Do you know the difference between success and significance? A lot of people who believe they are successful because they have everything they want. They have added value to themselves. but John believes significance comes when you add value to others-and you can't have true success with out significance.


Success is:

1. knowing your purpose in life


2. growing to your maximum potential


3. sowing seeds that benefit others.

Once you've learned something, do you have a heart to share it with others "#5 Share the Knowledge", or do you hold it for yourself? If you stop at adding value to yourself, you miss the reward of significance.

The journey to significance:

• This journey takes time.


• Success is usually the stepping stone to significance 'What else is there in life beyond professional and monetary success?'


• Pursuing significance takes us out of our comfort zone.
  
  It's Natural:
  To live for myself
  to think short term
  To go for instant gratification

It's unnatural:
To live for others
To think long term
To have delayed gratification

Once significance is sensed, nothing else will satisfy. Some people love what they do but don't feel it matters much. And some people who don't love what they do but do feel it matters. when you can love what you do and feel that it is making a difference in the lives of others, now you have the right combination. (What better opportunity in the way you can impact peoples lives every day!)

Five Differences between success and significance:

1. Motives: With success, motives may be selfish; with Significance, motives cannot be selfish.


2. Influence: With success, influence is limited; with significance, influence is unlimited. 'When you influence a child, you influence a life. When you influence a father, you influence a family. When you influence a leader, you influence all who look to them for leadership'


3. Time: Success can last a lifetime; significance can last several lifetimes.


4. Focus: Success asks, "How can I add value to myself?" Significance asks, "How can I add value to others?" The evolution from selfishness to significance goes something like this: What can others do for me? - What can I do for myself? - What can I do for others? - What can I do with others, for others?


5. Reward: If you pursue success, your joy is the result of your success; If you pursue significance, you joy is the result of others' success."

Excerpts from an Article in Success magazine by John C Maxwell.

Thank you