The Way to Add Value Is to Be True to Yourself
Entrepreneur and life coach Michelle Demers is an expert we heard from in chapter seven, the time management chapter. Her inspiring story shows how you can transition into what you were meant to do so that you can best add value to other people and the world. She told me about a study abroad program she did in Mexico when she was in school. This program was about marine biology and she absolutely loved taking boats out, using off-weeks to travel, staying at local hotels in close quarters with six other people (including sleeping in the middle of the desert), and staying in primitive areas. It gave her a strong grasp of what goes on in our world and opened her mind to new possibilities.
This resonated with me. My study abroad adventure in Budapest, Hungary, my entire junior year of college – when I lived, worked, studied, and played baseball in Europe for a full calendar year – was the turning point in my life. When I say it opened my eyes to the world, I don’t mean that in some grandiose, impractical way. I mean it legitimately allowed me the opportunity to travel to dozens of countries across Europe and Asia, meet hundreds of new people, and be exposed to realities and situations I never before thought possible (both good and bad). My year in Europe was the first time in my life when the pieces of the puzzle of my life came together, and I was enjoying and appreciating life each day. I was finally able to put things in perspective by realizing that the key to being successful is to add value to other people.
How this applies to you is that you will have many situations in your life which will turn out unexpectedly or in a bad way. The tendency for us all is to become negative and angry about the setbacks. But what Michelle is telling you, and my life experience confirms, is that if you keep pushing forward the puzzle pieces will come together, often in surprising ways. Once the puzzle pieces come together, you will understand how you can best take action and help other people.
“Life is a really windy path,” Michelle said. “For a while, I was totally anti-business, into animals and the non-profit scene. My view on business was that it was greedy, involving snake-oil salesmen, boring jobs, and imprisoning cubicles.
“But then I read the book, Ben and Jerry’s, and discovered how the founders of Ben and Jerry’s created their business in the same town that my college, University of Vermont, is located. Their business was all about social good, giving back to the community through charities and other initiatives by genuinely adding value to the world. It caused me to realize, gosh, business isn’t all that bad, and if you’re in business you can make a lot of money and do good things with that.”
“I read that book as well,” I said. “I read it while in college and it’s incredibly powerful the way Ben and Jerry founded their business on strong social principles.”
“Yes,” Michelle said. “After reading that book and doing a little reflecting, I made a 180-degree turn in my life. I transitioned by getting in the driver’s seat of my life. I went and got my MBA from Rutgers. I was still struggling with the idea of working in a corporate environment; cubicles just didn’t feel right to me. But, I undoubtedly was now interested in business. It doesn’t matter what the turning point in your life is as long as you make the turn. For me, it was reading a valuable book.”
I’m going to repeat that because it’s so powerful: It doesn’t matter what the turning point in your life is as long as you make the turn. If your turning point is something epic or climactic, that’s awesome. But your turning point can also be entering into a good conversation, reading an enlightening book, or taking a moment of silent reflection for yourself.
Notice how Michelle said that cubicles just didn’t feel right to her. The key here is to do what feels right to you. Michelle is not telling you to avoid cubicle jobs specifically. I have worked cubicle jobs that were fantastic and caused me to grow, have fun, and meet great people. If you enjoy where you’re at now, then that’s amazing, and you are successful in your own right. Michelle is suggesting to do what feels right to you and then find a way to fill that vocation with a job, passion, business, or hobby that brings meaning and purpose to you while adding value to others.
“What resonated with me and really got me moving forward in my transition is when I learned about coaching: how to integrate life coaching with business coaching,” Michelle said. “I got started in the coaching profession and have been there ever since. I’ve gotten away from my original passion for wildlife and environment, but I’m hoping to be philanthropic, so I have time to volunteer and be physically active. I’m using my business as a way to come back around full circle to my career dreams of marine biology, helping all wildlife, gravitating towards marine causes, turtles in Costa Rica, stuff like that. In the meantime, I continue to add value to other people through my coaching programs and services.”
Michelle’s multiple passions are fascinating, and she’s making an impact. Notice also, she is not using business as a means to an end; she is enjoying the journey along the way. Just because you aren’t able to monetize one of your passions right away doesn’t mean you won’t be actively involved in it or end up making money from it at some point in the future. It means life wants to take you down other roads first to learn valuable lessons and make an impact in other areas. Everything that happens is meant to be, and as you can see, there are ways to create win-win scenarios in life where one passion leads into the next.
“I love the lifestyle of doing what I love while making money. I’ve built my business around the idea and daily practice of helping others,” Michelle said. “That’s what business is all about. I’ve come full circle, and now I love business. I’m creating all sorts of new businesses, and I’m implementing strategies that are helping me to grow wealth by adding value to others.”
Money is a means to help other people. Lots of money is a good thing, not a bad thing, and can be used appropriately when in the right hands. Money will amplify who you are, so if you have strong character, values, and morals, you will manage your wealth responsibly. Also, note how Michelle talked about life coming full circle. A transition is really about returning to your roots and doing what you’re best at. It’s a return to the reason why you are here on the planet, connecting with your specific mission and purpose. It’s also a return to adding value and being of service to others.
Questions for Reflection
- What are some ways you could add value to your family, friends, job, vocation, business, and/or other endeavors? What are some of the problems you could solve?
- Is it time to reinvent yourself? Is it time to transition to another job or career? Is it time to put more focus on something you truly care about, so you are better positioned to uniquely add value to the world?
- What are some of the metrics in your version of success? What are the aspects of success for you other than money? What does your ideal day look like in terms of putting yourself out there and helping others? What are some local, national, or international events you could attend to meet more people?
This is an excerpt from Chapter 10 of the award-winning book, Reach Your Mountaintop: 10 Keys to Finding the Hidden Opportunity in Your Setbacks, Flipping What You’ve Heard on Its Head, and Achieving Legendary Goals.
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