What is the Lesson You Haven't Learned Yet?

I pose this question to everyone, not because it's supposed to have a simple or all inclusive answer. But rather, I put this out there as a means to test myself. I do so as a means to elaborate on my own issues and share a part of my "failure to launch" story with the hope that others have a chance to learn from my mistakes.

If I go back in time, I can assuredly point to modes of thinking and ways of doing things that both hurt and helped my business ventures. I've tried many things as an employee, business owner and entrepreneur. Those times allow me to reflect on when I had a good thing going and when I should have seen the writings on the walls as to the success or failure of those ventures. Some went well for a time, other never got off the ground.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned during each of my many trials in business is that the hardest times for me came along when I was most worried about money. This post isn't about the money so much as it's about what lies behind.

The Love of Money

Money is a material thing. Money doesn't have the capacity to make us happy or give us all of the things we want in life. That's not to minimize the fact that we all need to utilize the currency within our realm of existence in order to gain the physical and material things we need to survive (ie. food, house, car, etc.), but it is to minimize what most of us focus on when we're building a new business.

We tend to ask ourselves "Where's the MONEY?" "How soon before I start making MONEY?" "Why am I NOT making MONEY?"

Adjusting the Focus

This is where our focus is flawed. To focus on the outcome of the adventure is to lose grasp of the journey. I know that sounds ridiculous to many people. Especially those that are beginning a new business in order to replace an income or start making any kind of money at all. You'll find that those focused on money tend to be the stagnant ones that aren't making any. Then you'll see all these others that never say a word about money, yet they seem to be rolling in it.

The former is focused on making money, the latter is focused on fulfilling a purpose. In other words, the WHY of what drove them to being a business owner in the first place.
By doing so, one doesn't get frustrated when there is no money coming in right away. You'll discover that these people are DRIVEN by the purpose, not the bottom line. You'll hear them speak in terms of "It's not about the money...", or "The money will come when..."

Learn Your Lessons

We all learn lessons every day in business. Usually by trial and error, but sometimes we need to learn lessons by simple acceptance. Accepting the fact that it's not money that defines our purpose in life. Acceptance in realizing that we have to define our purpose in life before we'll ever be ultimately successful in whatever it is we choose as a path for business.
There are ton of lessons within the walls of WA, but those are lessons meant to teach a skill that will make us money, right? If you've really paid attention to what Kyle and Carson teach, how they teach and why they teach, you'd know that simple money making skills are not all they are teaching here. They don't want you to just make money, they also want you to succeed in life!

Even though I could charge by the word for the things I write here and in my own blog, writing this post wasn't about making any money. And if all I can take away from this is knowing I helped another person understand what's holding them back, then I've fulfilled my purpose...

...and I can take that to the bank.

All my Best,