We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. -Winston Churchill
To a member of the military serving in a war zone five, six, or seven days each week, the hardships and the dangers come with the job. The same can be said for members of law enforcement, or firefighters, or disaster response crews. Their efforts can often mean preserving themselves or their team and others they are sworn to protect. But service is not only in times of crisis. There are professions such as coal miners, auto mechanics, and shoe sales people who can reliably state they keep industry going, commuters getting to their jobs, and keep people from going shoe-less; however, these are no less opportunities for personal excellence by helping others achieve their dreams.
Service, or what Churchill says “making a life by what we give”, is not exclusive to these times. Teachers who help struggling students achieve an educational milestone, or a volunteer in a free hospital in an impoverished country aiding someone heal from a disease are other examples. Others share spiritual understanding and model selflessness by serving others stung by Life’s challenges. Still others see opportunity in helping our fellow Man to live healthier through education about exercise and proper diet. Some find opportunity serving others through their talent with investment or protecting and preserving the livelihood of a family through a breadwinner’s recovery from accident or illness.
It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. – Napoleon Hill
A societal shift in recent years has muddied the understanding of how to raise oneself and those around you through diligent effort. Many governments in their zeal to protect people from personal weaknesses and to preserve the natural world, have misunderstood legislatively what it means to achieve those idealistic goals. They seek to champion the “common Man” yet penalize or stifle individual efforts to find and fill an economic niche. In order for families to earn a living, someone other than a bureaucracy, through free enterprise, must create opportunities.
Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best. – Chester W. Nimitz
Small businesses make up the majority of the economy of many nations including our own in the United States. In much of the literature that encourages and teaches entrepreneurs and job seekers to be successful in marketing one’s talents solving others’ problems is key. To feed a man with free fish for a day is noble. However, to teach that same Man how to find and catch fish whenever he has need is a much more beneficial solution in the long term.
In the course of history, many enterprise models have been tried. Some fail. Some succeed. The best of these create a better standard of living for individuals by multiplying their efforts. No 401k pensioner or mutual fund investor can have the security through only singular investment and a single contributor. A business owner creates better opportunity for herself through providing opportunity for others to prosper, and then mentoring those in the team to do the same. Just like the lessons I learned about servant-leadership as a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy.
For more information about the business model I am actively pursuing as a second income stream (domestically and internationally), contact me via email, social media, or this website:
https://mysite.coach.teambeachbody.com/?coachId=1660622&locale=en_US
Quotes courtesy of http://www.brainyquote.com
Truths, Half-truths, and Sea Stories 