The question before us as a society today is not how much continual business growth we can generate or how many jobs the government can create or how many new housing starts or what the DOW Jones is running at? The question is what feeds our souls and inspires us to spread meaning in the world—in other words, are we creating a legacy enterprise?

For far too long we have tacitly accepted the prevailing dialog that business exists fundamentally to make money. This is an abstract concept because money was invented as a tool of exchange, and when we make money the objective we’ve just diminished our existence and reason for being to serving the tool, instead of the tool serving us.

“Instead of diminishing humanity to “human resources” we can serve humanity through meaningful work.”

Turning the paradigm up side down—or rather right side up—by accepting and acknowledging that money is the tool that serves us, we move from insignificance to meaning, and from myopia to vision.

Creating a legacy enterprise can sound like a tall order, yet when we truly consider what we give up when we follow profitability and growth as the only things of importance, wouldn’t we want to do everything in our power to change the paradigm?

Instead of diminishing humanity to “human resources” we can serve humanity through meaningful work, meaningful services, and products that matter.

“Legacy is about meaning. It’s about the why. It’s about listening to our inner voice, not the voice of fear.”

Instead of pursuing wealth so that we can allow ourselves to feel happy and secure once we attain it, what if we could feel happy and secure right here right now? And what if instead of pushing for an outcome that our mind’s eye tells us is the bulls-eye we’re after, we could listen to the yearning of our hearts and follow the direction it nudges us in?

Legacy is about meaning. It’s about the why. It’s about listening to our inner voice, not the voice of fear that says we need this, this, and this before we can allow ourselves to feel secure. It’s the yearning to matter and do work that matters.

In this space, we don’t just do business, we do life, and we build enterprises of legacy.

If you haven’t already begun the legacy journey, will you join us? Will you join us now?

 
The Importance of Why

Tip of the Week

A regular practice of meditation is so important to deepening our purpose in life and work. So often when I mention to people how I meditate every day for 30 minutes or more I hear people say, “I wish I could do that” or “I can’t meditate” or “I need to get myself in the habit of meditation.” I can say that it took me a good number of years to develop the discipline for daily meditation, and it didn’t happen until I began. So the tip for this week is to commit to just five minutes of meditation per day for one week. Just five minutes. Just one week. It can be as simple as taking deep even breaths with your eyes closed while sitting in an upright position. When your thoughts run rapid, gently bring your awareness back to your breath. And, after one week notice how your thoughts are already changing and how you feel inside.