My life has consisted of three phases: Satisfactory, Success, and Significance.
If you had asked me when I was in my twenties, I would have told you that these 3 words are similar.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
These three phases represent your evolution of Character, Maturity, Wisdom, and understanding of your Calling.
The Satisfactory Phase
This is where you do just enough in each area of your life. I lived in this phase until I was 25 years old. My ambition was to do just enough.
You do NOT accept responsibility for your life and actions in this phase. It is always someone else’s fault – YOU ARE A VICTIM.
A Satisfactory grade in school means you passed, but you did nothing extra or special. You were not memorable, nor did you do anything to help others.
In this stage of life, it’s all about entitlement!
The Success Phase
I moved into this when I was forced to work with Gregorio. He was a trainer the company hired to help us salespeople become better.
Gregorio was one of the most focused, passionate people I had ever met.
He was driven to Succeed at all costs and sold more Radio than I thought was even possible.
By the time he was done training me, my mindset had evolved into the Success Stage.
This is the Phase where you and your goals are the center of the Universe.
People will use their resources, abilities, and experience to get things to satisfy their personal desires, which in this mindset equals success.
In this Phase, it is ALL ABOUT YOU.
Success is important, and I want to make sure you understand that I am not putting down the pursuit of Success.
My pursuit of Success made me the center of the Universe.
I would rationalize that the End Justified the Means – a very dangerous mindset!
This stage has the potential to generate much wealth, influence, power, and popularity, but the price will be an unfulfilled life of PRIDE.
There MUST be more than just a bigger bank account, house, car, and title!
Chasing Money leads to a very empty life, but Chasing Meaning will Lead to Significance.
The Significance Phase
My Mindset had been evolving from Success to Significance over a few years but jumped into hard reality when I had two heart attacks in 48 hours.
I was in the hospital for two days before they figured out that I just needed a stint in one of my arteries.
Those were two VERY long days, and I had a lot of time to think.
The biggest questions that kept coming back were:
1. What have I done with my life that will live on? What value have I left?
2. Have I fulfilled the Purpose for which God put me here?
The hard realization was that I spent all my time and energy building my Kingdom, and nothing else mattered.
Significance is using everything you have: Your network, Your resources, Your experience, as well as Your passion to create a legacy that transcends Your life and title.
Is Your Career, Church, Community, and City better than when you found them?
You and I must use everything we have to help and serve those around us.
YES, by all means, Grow your bank account, achieve all the Success you dreamed of but do so to BE SIGNIFICANT!
Your Calling in life is to be a Clearing House, NOT a Store House!
Every good thing that God has given us was to be used to help and serve others.
It does not matter what your resume reads, your net worth, or how big your home is…what matters is whether you use it all to invest in others.
Do not Cannibalize your Calling by consuming it.
Learn to leverage Your personal success into Significance.
Ask yourself this question:
When people describe you, do they talk about what you have achieved for yourself or what you’ve accomplished for the benefit of others?
Find Your Passion…Find Your Life!