In the old west, gunslingers (allegedly) put notches in their gun handle to note the number of kills. Over time men (and perhaps women) have kept score of their accomplishments in various ways.
Some collect trophy's or plaques. Others drive expensive automobiles (even if they really can't afford them) or live in big homes behind gated walls.
My trophy's are gathering dust, my car is a 20 year old Volvo, my home needs a new driveway and the only gate is the one to keep the puppy out of the living room.
I started a thread a few days ago about "What Drives You". Of the 26 responses, only 7 stressed money as the motivating factor.
Everyone is different. That's what makes the world go around.
Every once in a while you will see a bumper sticker that is almost as old as I am. "The one who dies with the most toys, wins".
The odd thing about that is, I have never seen a U-haul trailer behind a hearse, so what does it matter if you have more toys than me?
My wife has a plaque on the wall in our kitchen. It says:
"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what was in my bank account, the kind of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove. What will matter is the impact I had on the life of a child."
Perhaps it is because I have been to the top in my profession on more than one occasion that I view things differently. The awards I have received over the years are in a box in the attic. I have made a lot of money and pissed a lot away. Twice I almost went bankrupt, mostly because of poor choices for a business partner, but fought my way back. My last venture cost me almost $1M but through it all I managed to stay afloat thanks to a loving wife, a strong will to survive without compromising values, and the blessing of a loving God.
This forum is an interesting place where personalities and values sometimes clash but more often agree. Despite my years in the industry, I find I can still learn things every week. Hopefully I have been able to pass along some things that have been helpful to others as well.
But to get back on track, my notches & tally marks are based on the number of folks I can help each day. Usually more than half never even bother to say thanks, and that is OK with me. The world is full of givers & takers but sometimes it seems like the scales are tilted in favor of the takers. In the end I have enough to sustain my business and my family. We have never missed a meal because I did not make a sale that day.
And that is OK by me.
Some collect trophy's or plaques. Others drive expensive automobiles (even if they really can't afford them) or live in big homes behind gated walls.
My trophy's are gathering dust, my car is a 20 year old Volvo, my home needs a new driveway and the only gate is the one to keep the puppy out of the living room.
I started a thread a few days ago about "What Drives You". Of the 26 responses, only 7 stressed money as the motivating factor.
Everyone is different. That's what makes the world go around.
Every once in a while you will see a bumper sticker that is almost as old as I am. "The one who dies with the most toys, wins".
The odd thing about that is, I have never seen a U-haul trailer behind a hearse, so what does it matter if you have more toys than me?
My wife has a plaque on the wall in our kitchen. It says:
"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what was in my bank account, the kind of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove. What will matter is the impact I had on the life of a child."
Perhaps it is because I have been to the top in my profession on more than one occasion that I view things differently. The awards I have received over the years are in a box in the attic. I have made a lot of money and pissed a lot away. Twice I almost went bankrupt, mostly because of poor choices for a business partner, but fought my way back. My last venture cost me almost $1M but through it all I managed to stay afloat thanks to a loving wife, a strong will to survive without compromising values, and the blessing of a loving God.
This forum is an interesting place where personalities and values sometimes clash but more often agree. Despite my years in the industry, I find I can still learn things every week. Hopefully I have been able to pass along some things that have been helpful to others as well.
But to get back on track, my notches & tally marks are based on the number of folks I can help each day. Usually more than half never even bother to say thanks, and that is OK with me. The world is full of givers & takers but sometimes it seems like the scales are tilted in favor of the takers. In the end I have enough to sustain my business and my family. We have never missed a meal because I did not make a sale that day.
And that is OK by me.
