Sowing the Seeds of Success

I am hosting a seminar tonight through Moms United in Business, "Sowing the Seeds of Success During Difficult Economic Times".  Read more >>


In preparation for our seminar I have been interviewing and talking with successful business men and women, and I found one common thread. You have to define what success means to you. Amazingly these men and women define success through their relationships and the abundance of love and friendship in their lives, not by the amount of money in their bank accounts. Ironically their ultimate financial success came from those relationships, it just did not happen over night.

So, I ask you, what does success mean to you? Is it more money in the bank than you could spend in a lifetime? A big house? Expensive cars? The best of the best of material things?

Having grown up in a home where my financial needs were more than adequate, you would think that material things would be my top priority. The main lesson I learned growing up is that no amount of money can take the place of a safe, healthy and happy home life. Period. And I don't care where you live or what kind of home you live in.

An excellent article on this subject is "What Constitutes a Good Life?", by Jim Rohn. While I may not place my priorities in the particular order in which he wrote his article, he makes some very powerful points.

My husband and I sit down on a regular basis to define our goals, our dreams and aspirations for ourselves and our family. Even though our lives are a work in progress, we feel as if we are already a success. We have a large family, and this was a part of our ultimate plan. I stay home with our kids, choosing to raise them myself instead of giving that responsibility over to strangers or other family members. My husband, while he currently works outside of the home (but not indefinitely, more on that in a future post!), his family comes first. He attends doctor visits, parent teacher conferences, and we have family outings on a regular basis. He is as involved in parenting our children as I am on a day to day basis.

My own business provides a way for me to help provide for our family, and to also use my talents and abilities to make a difference in the lives of others. Yep, little 'ol me (and hubby, he is my business partner along with my dear friend Julianne). Considering that MUIB has only been an official legal business since June of 2008, as our accountant said we are doing fabulous. Yeah us!

You have to define your own definition of success. What works for me and my family may not work for yours. I am no better than you are, nor are you any better than I am. If success means having the best of everything (meaning cars, houses, etc.) right now, and that works for you, great. Just keep in mind, like my 75 year old, very wise Nannie (grandmother) always says, you can't take it with you...what matters is family, love and a relationship with God (not in that order). I think that our country, a society that was once based on material things is now collectively realizing what is really important.

On your death bed do you honestly think you will wish you had spent more time in the office, more time making money, more time buying new things? Or will you be wishing you had spent more time with your loved ones, cherished them and let them know how much you love them?

Finding balance is key. Now that I am over the newborn stage with Chase and my hormones have finally settled down a bit, balance is taking hold in our lives. It has taken work, negotiation and imagination but our lives really are a success, yet will always be a work in progress.

Make room for abundance, and you will reap what you sow. If it means putting off that new house, new car or new whatever for now, in the long run it will be worth it. Just make sure your priorities are in order, and when your life on earth is through that you understood what really mattered before it was too late.